Faded Connections: A High School Story

Chapter 17: Letting Go of What Once Was

Four months had passed since Mia knew the truth. Four months of sleepless nights, quiet sobs muffled into pillows, and endless questions with no satisfying answers. The truth had come crashing down on her like a tidal wave, sweeping away the remnants of hope she had clung to after Jace broke her heart.

Jace had moved on quickly, far more quickly than Mia could have imagined. Seeing him with Lila, laughing, smiling, completely at ease, had driven a knife deep into her chest. Every stolen glance at Neon Haven Mall, only served to remind her of what she had lost-and what she had never truly had.

Jace was really with Lila now, and while Mia was still picking up the pieces of her shattered heart, he seemed to have left everything behind, including her. It wasn't just the end of their relationship that haunted her; it was the betrayal, the lies, the realization that he had moved on while she was still trying to understand why.

Mia hated him now. Or at least she tried to. Hate was easier to live with than the sorrow, easier to swallow than the bitter pill of rejection. It fueled her when her strength faltered, keeping her from falling back into the abyss of self-doubt. Yet, despite the hatred she clung to, the pain still lingered, refusing to let go.

[MIA'S HOUSE - DAY]

Today, she was going to sever the last tie that bound her to Jace. She was going to return everything-every letter, every gift, every piece of their past. She needed to rid herself of these physical reminders if she ever hoped to move on, truly move on, like he had.

She stood in front of her mirror, staring at her reflection. Her eyes, once bright and full of life, now carried the weight of the past four months. Her face was set with determination, though a part of her still trembled at the thought of facing Jace again. Would he even care? Would he feel anything at all when she handed back the remnants of their time together?

She grabbed the box that sat on her bed, the contents neatly arranged as if they were artifacts from another life. The necklace, the hoodie he had given her during the event at their campus, the notes he had written every time he gets her a flower-all of it was there, carefully packed away. Mia took a deep breath, willing herself to stay strong, and left her room.

[JACE'S HOUSE - DAY]

The walk to Jace's house felt like a march to war, her heart pounding in her chest as if it might burst. When she arrived, she paused for a moment on the sidewalk, staring at the house that had once felt so welcoming. It was a place where she had laughed, shared secrets, and made plans for a future that would never come to pass.

Now it was just a house-a place she needed to leave behind.

Summoning her courage, Mia walked up to the front door and rang the bell. It took a moment, but the door opened, revealing Jace standing there, surprised to see her. He looked the same, yet different. There was a casual ease about him, a lightness in his demeanor that hadn't been there in their final days together. And that hurt more than anything.

JACE
"Mia?"

His voice is uncertain. She looked up at him, forcing herself to meet his gaze.

MIA
(holding out the box) "I came to give you this. It's everything you gave me. I don't need it anymore."

Jace's eyes flickered with something-guilt, perhaps, or maybe just discomfort-but he didn't argue. He took the box from her, his fingers brushing against hers for a brief moment, sending a jolt through her that she quickly shook off.

JACE
"Mia, I..."

Jace began, but she cut him off.

MIA
"No, there's nothing to talk about. Not anymore."

He hesitated, looking down at the box in his hands.

JACE
(quietly) "I didn't mean to hurt you,"

Mia felt a surge of anger, hot and fierce, rise within her.

MIA
"But you already did. You hurt me more than anyone ever has. And for what? So you could be with someone else? You could've just told me, Jace. Sana naging honest ka."

JACE
(he admitted) "I know, but I didn't know how. I was a coward."

MIA
(repeated) "A coward, that's all you have to say?"

He looked at her, his expression pained.

JACE
"I'm sorry, Mia. I know that doesn't fix anything, but I am."

She felt her eyes burning with unshed tears, but she refused to cry in front of him. Not again.

MIA
"Sorry doesn't change the fact that you moved on while I was still trying to figure out what went wrong. Sorry doesn't take away the nights I spent wondering what I did to deserve this."

Jace opened his mouth to respond, but she didn't give him the chance.

MIA
(voice trembling) "You know what hurts the most, Jace? It's that I loved you. Truly and sincerely. And it feels like, that didn't mean anything to you. Why is it always the one who loves the most that ends up getting hurt the worst? Why did I have to be the one left behind?"

Jace had no answer. He simply stood there, holding the box, his face a mask of regret. But regret wasn't enough-not for Mia.

MIA
"I'm done, Jace. I'm done waiting for an explanation that will never come. I'm done holding on to what we had. I'm done with you."

She turned to leave, but before she could walk away, Jace spoke again, his voice tinged with desperation.

JACE
"Mia, wait. Please, just let me-"

But she didn't let him finish. She couldn't bear to hear anything more from him. Without a word, she walked away, her steps firm and unwavering. She didn't look back, didn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her pain. This was her moment, her chance to reclaim the power he had taken from her.

As she walked down the street, the sun setting in the distance, Mia felt a strange sense of relief washed over her. The weight she had been carrying for months began to lift, if only slightly. She wasn't completely over Jace-she wasn't sure when or if that day would come-but she was in the process now. And that was enough for today.

She had given him back everything he had ever given her, but what she was really doing was giving herself back to herself. She was reclaiming her life, her worth, her identity. Jace might have moved on, but so would she. Slowly, surely, she would rebuild, and one day, she would look back on this moment and realize it was the first step toward something better.

As the door closed behind her, sealing off that chapter of her life, Mia took a deep breath and allowed herself a small, bittersweet smile. She didn't have all the answers, but she had one truth that would carry her forward: She deserved better. And that was the foundation on which she would build her future.

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