The week after that night still lingered in my memory like a fading warmth—movie nights, laughter, Maddy's fingers intertwined with mine, promises made in silence. Everything felt perfect… for a while.
But then the cracks began to show.
At first, it was small. A missed reply. A cancelled call. Then, the warmth began to dull. Conversations shortened, his presence flickered in and out of our chats like he was half-there, half-somewhere else.
I didn't want to jump to conclusions. Maybe he was stressed. Maybe he just needed time.
But the silence grew louder.
So one night, heart pounding, I finally called him.
"Hey," I said, keeping my voice even.
"Hey," he replied casually, like nothing had changed.
"Are we okay?"
There was a pause. "Yeah," he said, a little too quickly. "Why wouldn't we be?"
"You just seem… distant. Different."
"I'm just tired, Diya. Don't overthink it."
But I was. I couldn't help it.
That night, after pacing the room a dozen times, I messaged Aarav—Maddy's best friend.
Me:"Hey Aarav. Sorry for disturbing, but… is Maddy okay? He won't talk to me. And he's just been… off."
Aarav:"Honestly, even I don't know. He's barely said anything to me either. But if you're okay with it, I can try to talk to him."
Me:"Please. I just need to understand."
Minutes later, Aarav messaged again.
Aarav:"Join this call. Keep yourself on mute. I'll try to talk to him."
I joined the conference call, heart pounding in my chest, breath caught in my throat.
"Aye Maddy," Aarav began casually. "You good, man?"
"Yeah, I'm alright," Maddy replied. Flat. Not like himself.
"You sure? Diya said you've been acting weird."
There was a pause.
Maddy exhaled. "I figured she would. I haven't been... great."
"Bro, talk to me. What's going on?"
Maddy's voice lowered, tired and unsure. "I don't know, Aarav. Everything just happened so fast. One moment we were holding hands, the next... I was lying next to her after we... after that night."
The silence tightened.
"I'm not saying I regret it," he continued quickly. "She didn't pressure me. It was perfect. But I think... I wasn't ready. Or maybe I thought I was, but when it actually happened, it hit me harder than I expected."
He let out a bitter laugh. "It's not even about her. It's me. I've never had something this real. And after that night, it suddenly felt too real. Too serious. I didn't know how to deal with it."
"So what, you just pull away?" Aarav asked gently.
"I needed space to think," Maddy said. "But then even thinking felt heavy. And now… I've been wondering if maybe I need a break."
Those words shattered something inside me.
A break?
I sat there in silence, on mute, unable to respond—unable to breathe. All I had done was love him. Trust him. Believe in us. And now, it was too much?
Maddy sighed again. "I don't want to hurt her. She doesn't deserve that. I just… don't know who I am in this relationship anymore."
I left the call before Aarav could say anything else. Quietly. Without a word.
And in the stillness of my room, the tears came.
I had given him my heart. My body. My trust.And now, I was left with questions he didn't have the courage to ask me directly.
He was processing.
But so was I.