Shattered Reflections

Chapter 23

May 18, 2024

Three weeks had passed since Fae's explosive confrontation with her friends in the bathroom, and things with Kai had been going great. The right amount of flirting, more texting, and more calls had made Fae feel like she was on cloud nine. Their relationship seemed to grow stronger each day, despite the doubts that lingered in the back of her mind.

Fae would wake up every morning to a sweet "Good morning, beautiful" text from Kai. She'd smile at her phone, feeling a warmth spread through her chest. It was a stark contrast to the anxiety that had plagued her in the past. Now, it felt like things were finally falling into place.

In between classes, Fae and Kai would exchange playful texts.

"Hey, loser. Whatcha doing?" Fae typed during history class, her fingers dancing over the screen.

Kai replied almost instantly. "Learning how to rule the world in econ. You?"

Fae chuckled quietly. "Just trying not to die of boredom in maths."

"Don't worry, I'll save you," Kai texted back.

Their conversations flowed easily, filled with jokes, shared memes, and occasional flirting that made Fae's heart race.

One night, they were on the phone, talking about everything and nothing. Fae was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling completely at ease.

"You know, I've missed this," Kai admitted, his voice soft through the receiver. "Just talking to you like this."

"Yeah, me too," Fae replied, smiling to herself. "It's nice."

"Nice? Just nice?" Kai teased, a playful edge to his voice.

Fae laughed. "Okay, it's more than nice. It's fucking amazing."

"That's more like it," Kai said, his tone lightening. "So, what's been the highlight of your day."

Fae thought for a moment. "Honestly, this. Talking to you. Everything else was pretty shit."

"Glad I could make it better," Kai said, and she could almost hear him smiling. "You make my day better too, you know."

Their calls often lasted late into the night, filled with laughter, teasing, and sometimes deeper conversations about their dreams and fears. It was in these moments that Fae felt truly connected to Kai, like they were the only two people in the world.

But among all the happiness, there were still moments of doubt that crept in. Fae couldn't completely shake off the memories of their rocky past. Sometimes, late at night, she'd lie awake, wondering if she was making a huge mistake. Yes she is.

"Am I being stupid?" she asked herself one night, her thoughts racing. "Is this really different, or am I just setting myself up for more heartbreak?" Yes you are. But... no he's changed. Right?

She didn't have the answers, but for now, she chose to focus on the present. The sweet texts, the late-night calls, the flirtatious, freaky talks—all of it made her feel alive in a way she hadn't felt in a long time.

One day, as they were walking out of school together, Kai turned to her with a grin. "You know, I think people are starting to get jealous of us."

Fae raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Why's that?"

"Because we're fucking awesome," Kai said with a wink. "And because I get to be with the prettiest girl in school."

Fae rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help but smile. "You're so full of shit."