To Your End

August 10, 2022

The night was quiet, save for the occasional whisper of wind rustling through the trees outside the motel. Naveen stood on the balcony, his eyes fixed on the full moon. The silver light bathed his face, but it couldn't mask the storm brewing within him. His hands gripped the cold metal railing as if it were the only thing tethering him to reality.

"How am I supposed to tell her that I was the reason Dean died?" Naveen's voice broke the silence, low and heavy with guilt.

Maria leaned against the doorframe, her arms crossed. She followed his gaze to the moon, her expression unreadable. "She'll know someday," she said, her voice steady, yet tinged with an unspoken sorrow.

Naveen let out a bitter laugh. "She can never know. You didn't see her, Maria. The way she looked at him—like he was her world. Even after everything, even after he broke her heart over and over, she always ran back to him." He exhaled sharply, his fingers tightening on the railing. "How could I tell her that the man she loved died because of me?"

Maria pushed off the doorframe and stepped closer, her voice soft but firm. "Keeping it from her won't erase what you did. It won't change what happened."

Naveen turned to face her, his eyes flashing with a mix of anger and despair. "Do you think I don't know that? Do you think I haven't replayed that night in my head a thousand times?"

Naveen's mind drifted to the memory he had tried so hard to suppress. The sword—gleaming, sharp, and deadly—was his parting gift to Dean. It was supposed to be symbolic, an artifact of trust or so he told himself. But deep down, it had been a weapon, meticulously chosen for its purpose. Naveen had planted the seed, waiting for the perfect moment.

The night it happened, he had gone to Dean's house under the guise of reconciliation. They'd exchanged polite words, but the tension was palpable. Naveen had planted the sword where it would later seal Dean's fate.

But he hadn't counted on Una. She was supposed to be miles away, safely out of the picture. Fate, however, had other plans. She had arrived at Dean's house that night, walking into a trap she didn't even know existed.

"It's cruel, isn't it?" Naveen said now, breaking the silence. "The way the universe works. It lets you meet the right person, and then it rips them away because of one wrong decision. One misstep."

Maria's jaw tightened as she listened. Naveen continued, his voice raw. "It broke my heart, not because she left me for him, but because I waited. I waited so long, hoping she'd turn around and see me. And she never did."

Maria took a step back, her expression softening for a moment. Then, her eyes hardened. "Your biggest mistake wasn't falling for her, Naveen. It was not telling her the truth. About Dean. About everything."

"How could I?" Naveen's voice rose. "Do you know what it would've done to her? She barely held it together after his death. If she knew it was because of me..." He trailed off, his voice cracking.

Maria sighed, running a hand through her hair. "And now? Look where we are. Running. Hiding. And for what?"

Naveen's eyes narrowed. "Wait," he said slowly, his tone shifting. "How did you know I was the reason Dean's dead?"

Maria's lips curved into a faint, bitter smile. "The receipt, Naveen. The one you left in your car. The sword and the receipt were from the same store. It wasn't hard to piece it together."

Naveen stared at her, stunned. "And you've been pretending this whole time?"

Maria shrugged. "I had to. I promised you both forever, remember?"

Two days passed, and the day of Maria's flight arrived. The two sat together at a cramped diner, the scent of stale coffee and greasy food heavy in the air. Naveen poked at his food, lost in thought. Maria, as always, seemed calm, almost detached.

"You knew the house," Naveen said suddenly, his tone accusatory.

Maria froze her fork halfway to her mouth. "What are you talking about?"

"When we entered Dean's apartment that night," Naveen explained, his voice low, "we didn't know where the light switch was. But you? You turned it on immediately. You didn't hesitate."

Maria set her fork down slowly. Her gaze met his, steady and unwavering. "I used to live there," she admitted.

"What?" Naveen's voice was barely above a whisper.

Maria leaned back in her chair, her expression unreadable. "I'm Dean's sister. Step-sister, technically. My father married his mother years ago. We decided not to tell anyone. After Dean moved to San Carlos, I got my own place and kept my distance."

Naveen felt the blood drain from his face. "You—" He couldn't find the words. "You could've handed us over to the police. Why didn't you?"

Maria's lips curled into a sad smile. "Because maybe I fell for her too. Maybe I loved her more than you did."

Naveen stared at her, speechless. Maria leaned forward, her voice soft but firm. "And I promised her, Naveen. I promised I'd stand beside her forever." She paused, her gaze piercing. "To your end."

As Maria left for her flight that evening, Naveen sat alone in the motel room, the weight of her words pressing down on him. The truth had unraveled, leaving nothing but shattered pieces of the past. And for the first time, Naveen wondered if the price of his love had been far too high.