Wounds That Remain

Aria sat in the library, her hands gripping the edges of her notebook, the blank page staring back at her. She had been sitting there for over an hour, pretending to work, but her mind kept circling back to the fight between Liam and Samuel. The raw anger in their voices, the accusations hurled in front of everyone, and the shock on their classmates’ faces haunted her. She couldn’t focus.

Maya slid into the chair across from her, her usual air of confidence replaced by something fragile. She looked over her shoulder nervously before leaning closer to Aria. “We need to talk,” she whispered.

Aria blinked, startled. “What is it?”

Maya hesitated, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her sweater. “I got another message from Julian last night.”

The mention of Julian sent a chill through Aria. “What did she say this time?”