Boundless

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟔 - 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐨'𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕

"Do you believe in soulmates?" Stella asked suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence between us.

I looked at her, a bit taken aback. "Soulmates?"

"Yeah, like a person out there that you're destined to find," she explained, her gaze fixed on the rippling surface of the Black Lake.

"Do you think there is?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"I don't know," she admitted, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "But I guess it gives life more purpose. The idea that there's someone out there who's meant for you, that you're somehow connected to them in a way that's beyond just chance."

I could tell there was something eating away at her. Lately, she'd been distracted, often sticking close to me as if she feared I'd disappear. I wasn't complaining; I enjoyed having her near. But I wanted to understand what was going on in her mind.

I'd brought her out here, to our usual spot by the Black Lake, hoping the quiet and the night would coax her into opening up. Stella always seemed to come alive under the stars.

"Maybe. Why do you ask?" I prodded gently, trying to get her to elaborate.

"Just curious," she said, shrugging it off, but there was a distant look in her eyes.

"Stell, come on," I insisted, sensing there was more to it.

"It's nothing. Just a silly thing I read about," she said evasively.

"You read a book on soulmates?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood and make her smile.

"No," she said with a small laugh that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I just re-read *Romeo and Juliet*. It made me think about how some people seem destined to be together, no matter the odds."

"You think they were soulmates?" I asked, intrigued by her thoughts.

"I suppose," she said thoughtfully. "Though I think they were more like two crazed kids who were just blinded by their emotions."

"What do you think a soulmate is?" I asked, genuinely interested in her definition.

"Someone you're interlinked with," she said softly, her eyes drifting back to the water. "A string that pulls you together, knowing them more deeply than you know yourself. It's like being blindly in love, where everything feels like it's meant to be."

I hesitated before asking, "Was it like that with Sallow?"

Her eyes met mine, and she shook her head. "No, there was nothing deep about our relationship."

"What about us?" I asked, bracing myself for her answer.

"What about us?" she replied, her voice laced with a hint of confusion.

"Do you think we're interlinked?" I asked, trying to gauge her feelings.

"I don't know," she said honestly, her voice barely a whisper.

"You break my heart, Stell," I said, trying to make light of it with a joke.

"Maybe it's too early to tell," she replied with a small, hopeful smile.

"I'll take maybe," I said, feeling a bit more hopeful, though still unsure.

We fell into silence, the only sounds being the gentle lapping of the water and the rustling of leaves. She fiddled with her charm bracelet, lost in her thoughts, her fingers absently tracing the charms.

"Hey, Stell?" I said after a while, trying to bridge the silence.

"Yeah?" she responded, looking up at me with a curious gaze.

"What's going on with you lately? Your head's always somewhere else," I asked, trying to get to the bottom of it.

"It's nothing," she said quickly, her voice a bit too firm. "I just get like this before the summer, itching to get past these exams. It's a stressful time."

I chuckled along with her, but I could tell she wasn't being entirely honest. I wanted to help, to understand what was really bothering her, but I felt powerless.

Right now, I wished more than ever that we were truly interlinked, that I could read her thoughts and understand what was weighing on her. Instead, I sighed and gently kissed her temple, pulling her closer to me. I rested her head on my chest, wanting to offer her comfort and reassurance.

"I'm here for you, Stell," I murmured, hoping she would find solace in my presence and maybe, just maybe, share what was truly on her mind.