TANGLED ECHOES

*Chapter 9:

Catherine would never admit it out loud—especially not to Sarah or Eve—but she'd had a really good time last night. The kind of good time that made her heart feel lighter, like she was allowed to be young again, even after washing off the makeup, and slipping out of the dress. Like she could flirt and dance and kiss someone without worrying about how it would all end.

I stretched under her blanket, staring at the ceiling, hair still a little messy, hugging a pillow and letting the memory of Liam's smile linger in her head like an addictive song. Her lips still tingling from the kiss she definitely wasn't thinking about. At all.

Not even a little.

My phone buzzed beside my bed.

*Group Chat: The Trio*

*Eve:* *So... how's the hangover? Of emotions, I mean *

*Sarah:* *I give it 3 hours before she admits she liked him and don't even try to play coy cat we know what we saw.*

*Catherine:* *You guys are insufferable*

*Eve:* *You're deflecting*

*Sarah:* *Exactly. Spill it, Cat.*

She sighed, smiling despite herself.

*Catherine:* *Okay fine. It was… nice.*

*Eve:* *Understatement of the century*

*Sarah:* *That kiss though... I could practically feel the chemistry from the patio.*

*Catherine:* *It wasn't a big deal. Just a moment.*

*Sarah:* * Come on was it soft and romantic, or all breathless and messy.*

*Eve:* *Girl, that moment lasted longer than my last situationship.*

*Catherine:*Are you two always like this in the morning?* 

*Eve:* when there's drama? Definitely.*

Their teasing continued as Catherine sat up and finally left the comfort of bed. The morning sunlight made everything feel warmer, easier. I had barely tied her braids up when another notification popped up—this time a private one.

*Liam:* *"Still thinking about you. Coffee today? Or should I try to be mysterious and pretend to run into you again?"*

I couldn't help but grin. His timing was too perfect.

*Catherine:* *"Are those my only options?"*

*Liam:* *"I mean, I could go for dramatic. Serenade you from outside your window. But I'm trying to pace myself."*

I laughed out loud.

*Catherine:* *"Let me see how the day goes."*

I tossed my phone aside, trying not to let my emotions spiral down a rabbit's hole. A new connection wasn't supposed to be this easy —this fun. Especially not after the whiplash of Matthew. Yet here I was, smiling like a schoolgirl.

I left my room feeling lighter than i had in days. I made my way toward campus, earbuds in, trying to keep my head clear. But of course, the universe had its own plans.

As i turned the corner near the library, i collided hard into someone.

"Oh, I'm so sor—" I started, then stopped. My voice caught in my throat.

Matthew.

Bruised, bandaged, and very real.

For a second, I wondered if my mind had conjured him.

He looked up, clearly just as surprised. His left eye was slightly swollen, lip still cut, and his arm rested in a sling. But it was unmistakably him.

"Catherine," he said, blinking. "I was just about to look for you."

I stared. "What… happened to you?"

"Got robbed. The night after our date," he said. "They took everything—phone, wallet, all of it. I was in the hospital till yesterday."

My heart dropped. "You're kidding."

"I wish I was."

"You didn't—" I stopped myself, suddenly embarrassed, my chest tighten with guilt.

"You thought I ghosted you," he said, reading her face. "I figured. Victor told me you looked pissed."

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah. I did. I mean, I was."

He offered a faint smile. "I don't blame you."

A long pause settled between them, filled with everything unsaid. Regret. Guilt. Even confusion.

"I should've tried harder to find out what happened or even reached out." i whispered. "I didn't even think that—"

"Hey," he said gently. "You didn't know and I can't blame you after the fiasco date."

Before either of them could say anything more, a voice cut through the space between them.

"Matt? There you are!"

A girl jogged up to them, glossy lips and impossibly long lashes, curls bouncing, a cropped hoodie riding up her waist. She slipped her hand into the crook of his uninjured arm like it belonged there. And I'm definitely sure she gave me a once-over.

She glanced at Catherine. "Hi."

Matthew tensed slightly. "Uh—Catherine, this is Sonia. Sonia, Catherine."

Sonia smiled faintly. "Ready to go?"

Matthew hesitated. "Yeah. I'll catch you later, Cat?"

Catherine nodded, even though her throat was tight. "Sure."

He gave her a small smile, then walked off with the girl—who, of course, didn't look back.

I stood there for a second too long, watching his retreating figure. It wasn't even that I wanted to go back to what we had or could have had— it was the whiplash. One minute I'm mad at him, the next, I feel foolish for assuming the worst. 

I'd spent days annoyed at him. Hurt. Frustrated. And now? She felt relief for being wrong… but also something sharp and i couldn't quite name. But it absolutely and positively isn't jealousy.

*Of course there's a girl.*

She turned away, pacing down the sidewalk with her hands shoved into her hoodie. Her phone buzzed.

*Liam:* *"Still on the fence about coffee, or should I throw in a croissant as a bribe?"*

She stared at the screen for a moment, her heart torn in two directions.

*Catherine:* *"Surprise me."*

Because right now, her head was a mess. But maybe—just maybe—her heart was trying to sort itself out.

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