Facing the Truth

The silence in the cabin pressed in around us, thick and heavy like a wet blanket. Cami sat cross-legged on the edge of her bed, arms wrapped around a pillow, watching me with cautious eyes.

I sank into the armchair by the window, my hands gripping the frayed arms like they were the only thing anchoring me. My chest was still tight, my breath shallow.

Outside, the soft crash of waves was relentless. Soothing. Mocking.

Cami finally broke the silence. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," I said too quickly, then softer, "Not yet."

She nodded and stood up. "I'll give you some space." She grabbed a book and slipped outside onto the porch.

The door clicked shut behind her, and I finally let my guard drop.

Tears burned at the corners of my eyes. Not hot and angry like before but just tired. I had held onto the hope that James might choose me, that all of it,the long stares, the nights talking until dawn, the almost-kisses they all meant something. But seeing him with Alana, so casual, so intimate… it was like watching the final ember burn out.

I don't know how long I sat there. Long enough for the light outside to dim, for voices around the beach to quiet. I must've dozed off, because the next thing I heard was a knock,soft, hesitant.

I didn't move.

Another knock.

"Vee?" A familiar voice. Tentative. Male.

I swallowed hard. For a second, I considered pretending to be asleep. But I stood, legs unsteady, and opened the door.

James stood on the other side.

His hair was windblown, salt-streaked. He wore a grey hoodie and board shorts, sand clinging to his calves. His expression was conflicted,caught between guilt and something else I couldn't name.

"Can we talk?" he asked quietly.

I didn't answer, just stepped aside. He walked in, stopping a few feet from me. The silence stretched between us like a rubber band, ready to snap.

"I didn't expect you to be here," he said finally.

"Really? Seems like this place is getting crowded."

He winced. "Alana planned this. I didn't know… not until we got here and I saw you."

"Hand in hand," I reminded him, folding my arms. "You looked cozy."

His jaw flexed. "It's not what you think."

"It never is, is it?"

He raked a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. "She said she wanted to talk, to clear the air. I thought I owed her that. And then she booked this beach weekend, said it was a chance to close the chapter cleanly."

"By reopening it first?"

His mouth opened, then closed again. "I didn't want to hurt you."

I laughed bitterly. "Funny, because that's exactly what you did."

He took a step closer. "Vee, I came here to tell you the truth. I've been trying to figure things out, to make sense of everything. You. Her. Me."

"Don't," I said, backing up. "Don't make this about confusion or timing. I asked you point-blank if you were still with her. You said no."

"I thought we were over," he said. "But… she told me something when we got here. Something I didn't know."

My heart thudded. "What?"

"She said she's pregnant."

The room tilted slightly. "What?"

James looked down at his shoes, voice barely above a whisper. "She told me this morning. Said she didn't want to ruin things for me, but thought I deserved to know. I don't even know if it's true."

"You think she's lying?"

"I don't know. I don't think so. But she could be wrong. Or manipulating. Or…" He trailed off, helpless.

I sat down, needing the support of the chair.

Pregnant.

The word echoed in my head like a scream in a canyon.

"And if it's true?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"I don't know what I'll do," he admitted. "But I had to tell you. I couldn't keep this from you. I couldn't let you think I came here just to be with her."

"Did you sleep with her?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

He closed his eyes. "Once. After we… after we stopped talking. I was angry. Confused."

That word again.

I stood. "You always say you're confused, James. Confused when we first kissed. Confused when you ghosted me. Confused when you showed up again like nothing happened. And now this? This isn't confusion. This is cowardice."

His face paled, and for a moment, he looked like a boy caught in the rain without shelter.

"I never meant to hurt you," he whispered.

"But you did," I said. "Over and over again."

He looked at me, really looked, like he was finally seeing the damage. "I'm sorry, Vee."

I nodded, blinking away the tears that threatened again. "I believe you. But sorry isn't enough this time."

He didn't argue.

After a long pause, he said, "If I'd met you first… maybe everything would be different."

I stepped back. "But you didn't. And this us..whatever it was… it's over."

He hesitated, then gave a small, sad nod. "Goodbye, Vee."

"Goodbye, James."

He left, and the door closed with a final click.

I stood still for a long time, letting the silence settle again. It didn't hurt the same way now. It wasn't sharp and disorienting. It was just… quiet.

Cami returned a few minutes later, eyes searching my face.

"He told me," I said.

Her expression darkened. "All of it?"

I nodded. "She's pregnant. Maybe."

Cami muttered something under her breath I couldn't catch, then wrapped her arms around me without a word.

We sat like that until the fire outside died down and the sky turned the color of ash.

That night, as I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, I thought of Jace. Of his steady presence. Of the way he'd looked at me not like I was a puzzle to solve, but a truth he already understood.

And I thought of James.

Of what we were.

Of what we weren't.

Of what we could never be.