A Second Chance at Love (Miniminter Fanfic)

4

Simon pov 

After dinner, the mood was still heavy, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off with Sharani. She'd excused herself quietly after dropping that bombshell about Theo, and I couldn't blame her. The shock on the faces of the other Sidemen mirrored my own—none of us had any idea. I kept replaying the scene in my head, the way her voice had wavered, the pain that laced every word. I'd seen her smile and laugh so many times, but this was the first time I'd seen the cracks underneath. It was like a mask had slipped, revealing all the hurt she'd been hiding.

I leaned back on the couch, trying to engage with the others as they resumed the conversation, but my mind kept drifting back to her. When you care about someone, it's hard to just sit by when you know they're hurting. And I cared about Sharani—a lot more than I'd ever admit out loud. My feelings had grown stronger over the past year, and though I tried to ignore them because of the age gap and the fact that she was probably still grieving her ex, I couldn't help the way my heart ached seeing her like that.

The others started to wind down, and soon everyone was heading off to their rooms. I lingered in the living room, debating whether or not to go check on her. Part of me wanted to give her space, but another part—the part that knew exactly what it felt like to be consumed by pain—wanted to make sure she was okay. I glanced over at George, who was still scrolling on his phone, his expression more serious than usual. He caught my eye and gave me a slight nod, almost like he was giving me silent permission to go after her. I didn't need more than that.I made my way upstairs, hesitating in front of her door. I could hear the faintest sound of movement inside, and it made me pause. What was I even going to say? I didn't want to intrude or make things worse, but something told me she needed someone right now, even if it wasn't obvious. I knocked softly, waiting for her to answer. When she didn't, I tried the door handle. It wasn't locked, so I pushed it open gently.

Sharani was sitting on her bed, her back against the wall and her knees pulled up to her chest. Her eyes were puffy, evidence that she'd been crying, but she quickly wiped at them when she noticed me standing there. She gave me a small, tired smile, one that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Hey," I said softly, stepping inside and closing the door behind me. "Mind if I join you?"She shrugged, patting the space next to her. I sat down, keeping a respectful distance, my hands resting awkwardly on my knees. The room was quiet, save for the faint hum of the night outside, and I found myself struggling to find the right words. She beat me to it.

"I'm sorry about earlier," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't mean to bring down the whole mood."

I shook my head quickly and hugged her as she rested her head on my shoulder. "Don't apologize ,  Shar. You don't have to pretend everything's fine when it's not. You're allowed to feel whatever you're feeling."

She nodded but didn't respond right away. Instead, she looked out the window, lost in thought. I could tell she was wrestling with something, and I wanted to help, but I also knew better than to push. So I waited, giving her the time and space to gather her thoughts. Finally, she spoke again."It's just... sometimes I feel like I shouldn't be here. Like, why am I the one still around when he's gone? And then, on top of that, I feel guilty because I'm starting to care about someone else. It feels... wrong."

Hearing that hurt more than I expected. Part of me wondered if that someone was me, but I couldn't let myself go down that road. Not now. Not when she was this vulnerable. "Shar, I know it's not easy, but you're allowed to be happy again. And Theo... he would have wanted that for you."

She glanced at me, her eyes searching mine for something—reassurance, maybe, or a sign that she wasn't alone in her guilt. I hoped she could see that I understood. I'd been through something similar, even if the circumstances were different. After all, Talia and I had ended things not because of a tragic loss, but because of betrayal. I thought we were solid until I found out she'd been cheating on me. The breakup had been mutual in the end, but it left me questioning everything. It had been about nine months now, and though I was technically single, moving on wasn't as easy as it sounded.

"I get it," I said quietly, my voice strained with the weight of my own emotions. "I went through something similar with Talia. We ended things because... well, she cheated on me. And for a long time, I blamed myself. I thought maybe I wasn't enough or that I should have seen it coming. But eventually, I realized that it wasn't my fault. And it's not yours, either."Sharani's eyes widened, and for a moment, she looked at me like she was seeing me differently. Like she hadn't expected me to share something so personal. "I didn't know that," she whispered, her voice filled with a mix of empathy and surprise. "I'm sorry, Simon. I didn't realize..."

"It's okay," I said, offering her a small smile. "The point is, we both have our stuff. And yeah, it sucks. But we're still here, and we're allowed to be happy again, even if it feels impossible right now."

We fell into a comfortable silence, both of us lost in our thoughts. It was strange—being this open with her, this honest. But it felt right. Like maybe, in our shared pain, we could find some comfort, even if it was just for a moment. I looked over at her, and she gave me a smile, a real one this time, soft and genuine.

"Thanks for being here," she said softly, her voice laced with gratitude. "I really needed this.""Anytime," I replied, meaning it more than she probably realized. We didn't need to say anything else. There was no grand confession, no dramatic moment of realization. Just two people sitting together, sharing the quiet of the night and the unspoken understanding that, despite everything, we weren't as alone as we felt.

After a while, I got up to leave, but before I did, I turned back to her. "If you ever need to talk, I'm here. No pressure, no judgment. Just... let me know, okay?"

She nodded as she lifted her head of my shoulder, and I left the room, closing the door gently behind me. As I made my way back to my own room, I couldn't help but feel a little lighter, like maybe, just maybe, we were both starting to heal. And while neither of us was ready to confess anything just yet, the connection between us was undeniable. It was complicated, messy, and far from simple, but it was real. And for now, that was enough.