All That's Left

Chapter 25 | Dorian

Present

2023

Seventeen years old

The atmosphere in the restaurant was warm and filled with the soft hum of conversations, the clinking of silverware against plates, and the occasional burst of laughter from other diners.

I sat across from Eliana, trying to focus in the menu in front of me, but my mind kept drifting. Tonight was supposed to resemble some sort of perfectness, with Eliana and I on a date away from Penasco. I wanted to be present, to give Eliana the attention she deserved and so desperately wanted, but something was gnawing at the back of my mind, something I couldn't shake.

It was as if Vania left again, only this time, it was so much worse, because she was right there in Penasco, and she didn't want to see or talk to me.

It had been weeks since Vania walked away from the party and pulled herself away from all of us. At first, I thought she just wanted a bit of space, just some time to herself after everything that had happened. But as the days turned into weeks, the silence between us grew heavier, and the absence of her presence in my life became a dull ache that I couldn't ignore.

Eliana had noticed it too. She'd been patient at first, understanding even, but recently, I could sense her frustration simmering just beneath the surface. Tonight was supposed to be about us, about connecting and trying to build at the relationship Eliana insisted was between us. But even now, Vania was still on my mind,

She always was.

The sudden vibration of my phone in my pocket snapped me back to the present. I pulled it out and glanced at the screen, my stomach flipping when I see Vania's name flashing across the screen. My heart seemed to skip a beat. She hadn't called me in weeks.

Without hesitation, I answer the call.

"Vania?" I ask, my voice laced with concern as I pressed the phone to my ear.

There was a brief pause on the other end before Vania's voice, small and shaky, came through. "I'm sorry to do this right now, but can you come get me, please? I'm at the lake."

My heart sank. I could hear the vulnerability in her voice, the unspoken plea for help. I knew something was wrong, and whatever it was, outweighed anything else in this moment. I barely registered Eliana's disaaporingvin gaze from across the table as I replied, "I'll be there in a few minutes. Hang tight, okay?" 

"Okay," Vania whispered, and I could hear the tears she was holding back. The call ended, leaving me feeling more unsettled than ever.

Eliaan watched me, her eyes narrowing in suspicion as she took in the seriousness on my face. "What's going on? What did she want?"

I hesitated, knowing this conversation wouldn't go over well. "I need to go pick Vania up."

Eliana's expression darkened, her frustration finally bubbling over. "Dorian, we're on a date. Can't you just let her handle things on her own for once? She's been distant for weeks, and now suddenly she needs you?"

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. I understood where Eliana was coming from, but Vania's call for help was something I couldn't, and wouldn't ever, ignore. "I know it's not fair to you, and I'm sorry, but Vania wouldn't reach out like this unless it's serious. She wouldn't call if it wasn't important, Eliana."

Eliana crossed her arms across her chest, glaring at me. "That's exactly the problem, Dorian. She's not in your life anymore, but somehow she still manages to come between us. You've always dropped everything for her, and I'm sick of it."