pt walking. Every step took her farther from the nightmare, farther from the image of Jayden and her b

him. The thud of hi

reathless, almost frantic. "Ma

he kept walking, faster now, hoping he wouldn't catch up, but h

was desperate. She could hear it. "Please, just let me explai

happen?" Her voice was tight, barely holding together. "You were in bed with her

arted, but sh

this. I trusted you. I thought..." Her words choked in her throat, her ey

cond, but it was gone as quickly as it

. "You didn't think about how it would feel to me? To see you in bed with

tears kept coming. "I waited for you. I waited. I thought... I thought that would mea

he stepped back, putting some distance between them. "Maya, please, don

above a whisper. "You don't get to s

d, almost like he was speaking through gritted teeth. "Maya, it's your fault, okay? You're the on

ap. "What...? Are you seriou

is position. You think I'm just going to wait forever? You think I'm some kind of saint? It's n

t he was saying. "You really think I made you do thi

t it, Maya. You were so fixated on this idea of us, this perfect thing, but who does tha

able. I can't believe you're saying this. I loved you

s up. "You made it impossible. You pushed me away

. I didn't push you away. I wanted to build something with y

you, but you have to understand. I couldn't wait forever. Nobody would

made it," she repeated, barely above a whisper. "You made it

come. He closed it again, and for a moment, the only sound was

im any longer. "I'm done. I'm done with

another word, she tu

forward even though she didn't want to move. The world around her cars, people, the noise of the city seemed like it belonged to someo

your

ade me

does

e not enough. You should've been different. But even though she knew it wasn't her fault, th

even hear th

ng was numb, and the

The car was so close, she could almost feel it. Time slow

going to

d, the car jerking to a stop just inches from her. Maya's hear

is face pale. "Is she okay? Is she a

ice barely there. "I'm fine." But her words felt hollow. The fear was st

aya just stood there, frozen for a moment, the world still moving around her.

e last. She barely noticed the time passing, the streets, the peop

s' voices floated in from the kitchen. They were hap

d it go? Did y

she was moving through mud, each step so slow, so distant. Her eyes staye

ace glowing with that warmth Maya used to find comfortin

dy moved without her thinking, dropping he

y from them, away from ever

m door behind her and

en it h

e, and she cou

quiet room. The hurt, the anger, the frustration,it all came flooding out in a rush, like a dam

't. She couldn't make the world stop spinning. She couldn't make herself stop fe