Walking on Thin Ice

The days that followed felt like walking on thin ice each step uncertain, every breath laced with hesitation.

Kristoff was still weak, recovering from his coma, and I… I was still trying to recover from the emotional storm that had upended my life.

I stayed by his side, but I kept my distance.

He noticed.

Every time our eyes met, there was an unspoken question lingering in his gaze. Are you going to leave again?

And the truth was I didn't know.

I had run once before, convinced that putting distance between us was the only way to protect myself. But somehow, I was right back where I started, trapped in this cycle of heartbreak and confusion.

I should have left the moment I found out about her.

I should have walked away without a second thought.

But I didn't.

Because despite everything, a part of me still wanted answers.

A part of me still wanted him.

---

A Conversation Left Hanging

"Did you eat?" Kristoff asked one afternoon, his voice hoarse but steady.

I glanced up from my phone, startled by the question. "Huh?"

"You're pregnant," he reminded me, as if I had forgotten. "You should be eating properly."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "I am eating."

He raised a skeptical brow. "Are you?"

I sighed, pushing my untouched food tray closer to him. "Are you?"

His lips twitched. "Touché."

Despite everything, the moment felt… normal. Almost too normal. Like we weren't standing on opposite sides of a breaking bridge.

For a fleeting second, I let myself wonder—was there still a way forward?

I cleared my throat. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I was hit by a truck. Twice."

A small smile tugged at my lips before I could stop it. "That sounds about right."

His expression softened, but before he could say anything else, a knock on the door shattered whatever fragile peace had settled between us.

The door creaked open, and I turned—only for my stomach to drop.

It was her.

Kristoff's supposed girlfriend.

---

A Moment of Truth

She froze when she saw me, her eyes flickering between me and Kristoff.

My body went rigid.

I had been avoiding this moment avoiding the confrontation, the reality of whatever this woman meant to Kristoff.

But now, there was no running.

She stepped forward, clearing her throat. "I… didn't expect to see you here."

I lifted my chin. "Clearly."

Kristoff straightened, his expression turning serious. "Sophia"

So that was her name.

She turned to him, searching his face. "You weren't answering my calls."

Kristoff sighed. "Because there's nothing left to say."

A sharp pang of something twisted in my chest, but I forced myself to stay still.

Sophia's eyes flickered with something unreadable before settling on me. "And you… you're Ariella, right?"

I nodded.

She inhaled sharply. "Look, I don't know what Kristoff told you, but we"

"There's no 'we,'" Kristoff cut in firmly.

Sophia stiffened, clearly thrown off by his bluntness. "Kristoff, you"

"No," he said, his voice unwavering. "We weren't together. Not in the way you thought."

I frowned, my heart pounding. "What does that mean?"

Kristoff sighed, running a hand down his face. "It means that whatever Sophia thought we had, I never saw it that way. She was… a friend. Someone I leaned on, but I never made promises."

Sophia let out a bitter laugh. "That's convenient."

I could feel the tension crackling between them, but I had no energy left for this drama.

I stood, my stomach churning. "I need air."

Kristoff's eyes snapped to mine. "Ariella"

I shook my head, stepping past Sophia and out of the room.

---

Running from the Past

I wandered through the hospital corridors, my emotions tangled in a mess I couldn't sort out.

Kristoff had denied her.

Had cut her off without hesitation.

So why did I still feel like I was losing something?

A part of me wanted to believe him, to trust that Sophia had just been a misunderstanding.

But trust wasn't easy.

Not anymore.

I found myself outside, leaning against the cool stone wall of the hospital as I tried to steady my breathing.

A minute later, footsteps approached.

Kristoff.

I didn't turn, but he stopped beside me anyway.

"I didn't lie to you," he said quietly.

I swallowed hard. "I want to believe that."

He exhaled slowly. "Then let me prove it."

I closed my eyes. "You keep saying that, Kristoff. But what if I can't?"

Silence stretched between us.

Then, so softly I almost didn't hear it, he whispered, "Then I'll wait."

And for the first time, I wondered if maybe just maybe he meant it.

---

Unspoken Words and a Heavy Heart

The days passed, but the weight of everything still sat heavily on my chest.

I spent hours replaying our conversation, analyzing every word, every pause, searching for some hidden truth I might have missed.

Was he telling the truth?

Did Sophia mean nothing to him?

Or was this just another cruel twist in a story that had already taken so much from me?

One evening, I found myself back in Kristoff's room, watching him as he slept. His face was pale, his breathing steady but weak.

For a moment, I let myself feel.

Feel the fear that had consumed me when I thought I'd lost him.

Feel the anger that had nearly broken me when I thought he had betrayed me.

And feel the love deep, unshakable that I had spent so long trying to deny.

I reached out hesitantly, my fingers brushing against his hand.

His eyelids fluttered open, hazy and unfocused before they locked onto mine.

"Ari," he murmured, his voice thick with exhaustion.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I'm still here."

He exhaled, his grip tightening around my fingers. "I know."

And in that moment, I realized—

Maybe I wasn't ready to forgive him.

Maybe I still had doubts.

But one thing was certain.

I wanted to believe him.

And for now, maybe that was enough.