hapter 101
“No,” Grace says, her voice steady and firm. “You haven’t lost anything. Not if you don’t want to. The triplets… they care about you. But you have to put yourself first. If this is what you need right now, then you’ve made the right choice. They’ll figure things out, but you have to take. care of yourself.”
I let out a long, shaky breath, trying to steady myself. “I just wish it didn’t feel like I’m losing them for good. Like I’m walking away from something that could have been real.”
“You’re not walking away from anything,” Grace says softly. “You’re just… taking a break. You need to breathe. You need time to figure things out. And when you’re ready, you’ll know what to do.”
I feel a tear slip down my cheek, but I don’t wipe it away. It’s been so long since I’ve allowed myself to cry. “I just don’t know how to fix this.”
“You don’t have to fix it right now,” Grace reassures me. “You’re not alone. I’ll be there for you. Just let me know when you want to talk, when you want to see me. I’m only a call away.”
“Thank you, Grace,” I whisper, my voice thick with emotion. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“I’m always here, Aria. Always.”
After the call ends, I stare down at my phone, my mind still reeling from everything that’s happened. The triplets‘ messages are still lighting up my screen, one after the other. I don’t want to read them. I can’t. Not when my heart is so raw.
Instead, I throw my phone onto the coffee table, willing myself to stop thinking about them. But it’s impossible. Their faces, their voices, everything about them floods my mind. I can’t escape it. I stand up and start pacing, trying to burn off the anxiety creeping up my chest.
But then, my phone rings again.
I hesitate before glancing at the screen.
A blocked number.
I almost ignore it, but something tells me I shouldn’t. My fingers hover over the button. The triplets? No. It’s too soon for that. My breath catches in my throat as I swipe to answer, unsure of what’s about to come.
“Aria.”
I freeze. That voice. I know it all too well.
Cassandra.
Well, well,” she says, her voice sickly sweet, laced with venom. “Looks like you really did it, didn’t you? You finally gave up on them.”
I swallow hard, my stomach tightening. “What do you want, Cassandra?”
Her laugh is low and cruel. “I just wanted to remind you, Aria, that running away won’t fix anything. You think leaving will make them realize they need you? Newsflash, sweetheart: You’re nothing more than a game to them. You were never truly a part of their world.”
I shake my head, feeling my blood boil. “You’re the one who twisted everything. You lied to them about me!”
Cassandra’s voice drops to a mocking whisper. “Did I? Or maybe you just couldn’t handle the truth. You were always second in their eyes. You’ll never be the one they choose.”
Her words cut through me like a knife, the sting worse than I ever imagined. “You’re lying.”
Chapter 101
“No,” she says coldly. “I’m just being honest. You’ll never have them, Aria. You’ll always be the one left out. you think i don’t know about your little relationship, you’re just a slut, throwing yourself at them.”
I slam the phone down, my hands shaking, my chest heaving. I feel the anger bubbling inside me, but it’s mixed with something deeper–doubt, fear, confusion. What if she’s right? What if this is the end? What if I’ve really lost everything?
I try to shake off the thought, but it lingers, gnawing at me.
The doorbell rings, interrupting my spiraling thoughts. I jump, startled. Who could it be?
I walk to the door, my pulse quickening, trying to calm myself. I peer through the peephole, and my heart skips a beat.
It’s him.
