Too Late for Words

The night was quiet, the only sound in Ming's room was the soft hum of the air conditioner. He lay on his bed, his phone in his hand, staring at Hua's contact. His heart felt heavy, the weight of his mistakes pressing down on him. He had thought of nothing else since the kiss with Xueyao earlier that day, and how wrong it had felt compared to the kiss he had shared with Hua.

He couldn't let things go on like this. He had to talk to her.

Ming dialed Hua's number again, his fingers trembling slightly as he pressed the call button. The phone rang, each ring dragging on like an eternity. Finally, Hua's voice came through the line, her tone colder than usual.

"What do you want, Ming?" she asked, her words laced with exhaustion.

"Hua, please. Just let me explain," Ming started, sitting up in bed. "I know I've been distant, and I know you saw what happened between me and Xueyao. But it's not what you think. It's... I'm confused, and I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Confused?" Hua's voice cracked slightly, as though she was holding back tears. "Ming, you kissed her. Twice. You didn't even care enough to check on me. You just... forgot about me."

Ming's heart clenched at her words. "I didn't forget about you. I've been caught up in—"

"Ming, I don't want to hear your excuses," Hua interrupted, her voice breaking. "I've spent the past few days feeling like I'm nothing to you. And now, you expect me to just listen to your explanations? I can't do this."

"Hua, please—"

But before he could finish, Hua hung up the phone. The line went dead, and the silence that followed was deafening. Ming stared at his phone in disbelief, his mind racing. He had hurt her deeply, more than he had realized.

A knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts. It creaked open, and Xueyao stepped into the room, her expression soft but concerned.

"Ming, are you okay?" she asked, walking over to him. She sat down on the edge of the bed, her hand brushing against his arm.

Ming sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know... I think I really messed things up with Hua."

Xueyao tilted her head slightly, her brow furrowing in confusion. "Why are you so worried about her? I thought you and I were finally reconnecting. Isn't that what you wanted?"

Ming glanced at Xueyao, but in that moment, everything felt blurred. The connection he thought he had with her felt shallow compared to the bond he shared with Hua. Xueyao had been his past, but Hua was something else—something more. But had he realized it too late?

"I thought I knew what I wanted," Ming replied quietly. "But now... I don't know anymore."

Xueyao shifted closer to him, her eyes searching his face. "Ming, we've known each other for so long. We were happy before, and I know we can be again. Don't let this thing with Hua distract you from what we have."

Ming swallowed hard, guilt and confusion swirling inside him. Xueyao's words echoed in his mind, but all he could think about was Hua's voice—her pain. He had pushed her away, and now he didn't know if he could fix it.

"I need to figure things out, Xueyao," Ming said softly, pulling his arm away from her touch. "I don't know what's right anymore."

Xueyao's face fell, but she nodded slowly. "Okay, Ming. Just... don't push me away, too."

Ming offered her a weak smile, though inside, his thoughts were consumed by Hua. As Xueyao left the room, he lay back down, staring up at the ceiling. He had to make things right. But would Hua even give him the chance?