Your Ten Letters [Completed]

Letter 10

Letter ten: October
—
Lily stood there, paralyzed by the weight of the moment. After all this time, all those shared moments, had they meant nothing to him? The kisses, the hugs, the countless experiences they'd shared - did they hold no significance?

Speech eluded her; she was too shocked to say anything. Too sad to let him go, yet too weak to reach out and grab his hand, to beg him to stay.

Tears that had dried up returned, flowing freely down her cheeks as he began to walk away. A turbulent whirlwind of thoughts churned in her mind, but none offered a solution.

Heartbroken was an understatement. She was a jumble of emotions, a tangle of confusion. In her state of turmoil, rational thinking abandoned her, leaving only the raw, aching desire for Marcus to be here, right now.

The chill of the night air gnawed at her, but she paid it no mind. It was only when a warm hug enveloped her from behind that she realized how cold she'd become.

"It's okay, don't cry, my darling," her mom's soothing voice whispered.

But those words ignited a torrent of tears, and she clung to her mom, her tears soaking her mother's shirt.

"I don't know..." Lily sobbed, her voice quaking. "I don't know why this happened! It hurts."
She continued to cry, and her mom patted her back, offering kisses and comfort. With a tender gesture, her mom closed the door and draped a blanket over her trembling shoulders.

"Shh," her mom hushed, stroking her hair. "It's going to be okay."

But all Lily could manage to say amid her sobs was, "It hurts, it hurts so much..."

The next day, Lily woke up to an unsettling feeling. She'd slept right through her alarm, a restless night leaving her utterly exhausted. Staying home seemed like the best option.

As she contemplated texting her mom about it, she noticed a note on the kitchen table.

"My darling, yesterday was a tough day. We all have our ups and downs, and it seems like you're in a downswing. Don't worry about school today; rest up. I've already called your school to let them know you're unwell. Mom."

A warm smile crept onto Lily's face. No matter what happened, she had her mom's unwavering support.

Her body ached all over, a testament to her restless night. Puffy eyes and a sense of unease clung to her.

"Great," she muttered to herself.

The events of the previous day kept replaying in her mind. She couldn't understand why he had said what he did. They hadn't been facing any problems, or so she thought.

But she knew Marcus was hiding something; she could feel it. And tomorrow, she was determined to uncover the truth, no matter what.

But for today, she had the day to herself, a chance to clear her mind. She hadn't even checked her messages yet; Charlotte had probably texted her.

Opening her phone, she saw a message from Charlotte as expected, asking how she was. Lily replied that she was fine and promised to catch up with her tomorrow.

Then, there was a message from Davina. She hesitated for a moment. She still wasn't in talking terms with Davina. Still, she couldn't ignore it.

"Hi, I heard you were sick. I hope you get better," Davina had written.

Lily sent a brief reply, not wanting to burden herself with more thoughts. Today was a day to heal. Her heart ached relentlessly, and she couldn't help but wonder if Marcus felt the same way.

What was he hiding? And why, amidst breaking her heart, had he said those three words – "I love you"?

The following day inched by, and Lily still couldn't bring herself to return to school; now, she was genuinely unwell. She had felt slightly off the previous day too, perhaps a result of standing outside in the chilly weather during that painful breakup.