The Silences Too Many

The day had ended in laughter and fun, leaving behind joyful memories. But when night fell, forcing the two friends to part ways, Marlie returned home with a smile still lingering on her lips.

She pushed the door open, turned on the light, and widened her eyes.

Sitting on a chair facing the entrance, Axel was waiting for her with an amused smile.

— "How did you get in?" she asked in surprise. "I locked the door and…"

She didn't have time to finish her sentence. Axel stood up, closed the distance between them in a fraction of a second, and captured her lips in a passionate kiss. Shocked, Marlie felt her breath hitch, her heart pounding wildly. When he finally broke the kiss, he looked at her, amused, while she remained frozen, dazed.

— "What… was that?" she stammered.

— "For the pleasure of teasing you, but also to punish you for scaring me," Axel replied with a mischievous smile. "What was that excuse about being sick?"

Marlie, slowly regaining her senses, smirked.

— "An effective way to skip class."

Axel rolled his eyes before collapsing onto the couch, visibly exasperated. Marlie joined him and sat down by his side.

— "It was for a good cause," she added playfully.

He turned his head towards her, intrigued.

— "Really?"

— "Yes. I wanted to know why Miria left us hanging at the park yesterday."

Axel sat up slightly.

— "And?"

Marlie sighed before answering:

— "She told me it was nothing important…" She hesitated, then added, "And Ray wasn't exactly alone. He was in very good company… with Isabella."

At these words, Axel grimaced.

— "Ouch. That doesn't look good for him."

— "Not at all," Marlie confirmed, shaking her head. "The closeness between Ray and Isabella isn't helping… and let's not forget Isolde, who's making things worse with her inappropriate comments."

Axel nodded. He knew how much Isolde loved stirring up trouble.

But Marlie continued in a more serious tone:

— "And… she's starting to get suspicious."

Axel's eyes widened.

— "Are you sure?"

— "Yes. She told me she feels like Ray is hiding something from her. She's even certain of it."

Axel remained silent, his gaze lost in the void. He ran his tongue over his cheek, searching for something to say, but no words came.

Marlie broke the silence.

— "What if we told her the truth?"

Marlie's words hit Axel like a blow. He turned to her abruptly, stunned.

— "What? You must be joking."

Marlie held his gaze.

— "I'm not. Maybe it's time to stop keeping the truth from her."

Axel opened his mouth to argue, then closed it. He didn't even have an argument left.

A shadow of doubt now loomed between them.