MY MOON

CHAPTER 19: ALYA

Dev was lost in thought, barely touching his food. He kept glancing at his phone, his expression clouded with something between anxiety and frustration. It was so unlike him; usually, he was so present, so attentive. Seeing him like this made me uneasy.

"Where is your mind at?" I asked, twirling a forkful of spaghetti and eyeing him curiously.

He blinked, coming back to reality, and gave me a weak smile. "Nowhere," he said, but his eyes betrayed him. They were restless, darting to his phone and then back to me.

I reached across the table, placing my hand over his. "Tell me what happened," I insisted gently. There was no way I was letting this go. I could see something was eating at him.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's about Alex," he finally admitted, his voice dropping a notch.

Hearing Alex's name sent a shiver down my spine. A mix of curiosity and dread settled in my stomach. What could Alex have done now? "Alex? What about Alex?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

Dev looked at me, his eyes searching mine. "I feel like he doesn't like me. In fact, I think he hates me."

My heart skipped a beat. The tension between Alex and Dev had been palpable, but hearing Dev articulate it out loud made it so much more real. "Why would you say that?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"You saw how he asked me to leave from the house," Dev began, his words heavy with confusion. "And even yesterday at dinner, he didn't speak a word to me. Today in the office, he just... he burst at me out of nowhere."

I knew Alex's feelings towards Dev were complicated, but it was hard to hear Dev's pain in his voice. It wasn't Dev's fault. It was mine. I was the reason for Alex's hostility, and the weight of that realization settled heavily on my chest.

"No, Dev," I said, trying to reassure him, even though I was struggling to believe my own words. "I guess it's just an assumption. Why would he hate you?"

Dev shook his head, frustration etched on his face. "Exactly. I mean, I have a double degree. I was a great PA according to my last bosses. But with Alex, it's like I can't do anything right. He's known for being this young, successful billionaire because of the goals and standards he sets for himself. Maybe he had some expectations from his PA that I'm not meeting. I don't know."

I could see the self-doubt creeping into Dev's expression, and it broke my heart. He was more than capable; he was brilliant. If Alex couldn't see that due to his own personal issues, it wasn't because of Dev's shortcomings—it was because of his sick head.

"No, don't say that, Dev," I said firmly, squeezing his hand. "You are more than capable. If Alex isn't able to see that, then the fault lies with him, not with you."

I tried to put as much conviction into my words as I could muster. I didn't wana tell Dev the truth, the past mistakes that I made with Alex. But deep down, I knew that Alex's animosity wasn't about Dev's capabilities. It was about me, about the unresolved feelings and the history we had.

As I looked into Dev's eyes, I felt a pang of guilt. He deserved better than to be caught in the crossfire of my past. He deserved to know the truth, but how could I explain it without unraveling everything I had tried so hard to leave behind?

"Thank you," Dev said quietly, his voice breaking through my thoughts. "It means a lot to hear you say that."

I nodded, forcing a smile. "You're doing great, Dev. Don't let Alex's behavior get to you. He's... complicated."

Dev smiled back, but it didn't reach his eyes. As we continued our dinner, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning. The truth had a way of surfacing, no matter how deeply buried, and I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep it hidden.