Isabella remained still for a moment, watching his back disappear into the darkness. Then, in a barely audible whisper, she breathed:
— Not for me…
The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a soft, warm glow over Miria's room. She lay on her bed, arms crossed under her head, lost in thought.
A vibration caught her attention. Her phone displayed a message from Marlie:
Marlie: I'm coming over. Get the cookies ready, we're spending the day chatting.
A small smile tugged at Miria's lips. Marlie always knew when something was wrong. An hour later, they were sitting on Miria's bed, a box of cookies between them, chatting about anything and everything.
— So, this guy looked at you like he'd just seen a ghost? Miria joked, laughing.
— Exactly! I could've sworn he was about to faint! Marlie replied, dramatically mimicking a horrified expression.
They burst into laughter, enjoying the lighthearted moment, but soon, Marlie's expression grew more serious.
— So, are we going to talk about what happened yesterday? Where did you go?
Miria looked away and shrugged vaguely.
— Oh, nothing important. I just needed some air, she said evasively.
Then, crossing her arms, she added with a falsely indifferent tone:
— Besides, Ray seemed pretty well accompanied… with Isabella.
Marlie sighed.
— Miria…
— What? I don't hate her, you know that. It's just that I feel like Ray pays more attention to her than to me.
Marlie shook her head.
— That's not it… They've known each other since childhood, and yes, they dated, but that's in the past. You know that, right? Ray is crazy about you.
Miria stared at her for a moment before murmuring, almost under her breath:
— Are you sure? Because sometimes, it feels like he still loves her.
Marlie opened her mouth, ready to respond, but Miria cut her off before she could say anything.
— And it's not just that… I'm sure Ray is hiding something from me.
Silence fell. Marlie lowered her gaze, pretending to play with a loose thread on her sleeve. She knew something. But could she say it?
— You're probably overthinking it, she replied with a light smile. Ray is just a complicated guy, that's all.
Miria sighed.
— You know something, don't you?
Marlie shrugged with a small laugh, as if it was nothing important.
— Pff, you think too much, Miria. Come on, let's talk about something else.
Miria stared at her for a moment, hesitant. But deep down, she knew.
Ray was hiding something from her.
And so was Marlie.