Maya Harper sat at the edge of her bed, staring at the faded photograph in her hand. It was from their last night together in high school—her, Sebastian, and Anika, grinning at the camera, arms wrapped around each other as if nothing could tear them apart. If only they knew.
Her phone buzzed, jolting her back to the present. Anika’s name flashed on the screen.
Maya sighed, answering the call. "Hey, Ani."
“Maya! You’re not going to believe this,” Anika’s voice crackled with excitement. “Guess who I just saw on TV?”
Maya already knew. Sebastian’s face had been everywhere lately—magazine covers, billboards, talk shows. She hadn’t expected it to sting so much. “Let me guess. Seb?”
“Of course, Seb! Can you believe it? Our Seb, a Hollywood star!” Anika laughed, the sound almost masking her disbelief. “It’s insane, right?”
Maya forced a smile into her voice. “Yeah, it’s wild. I’m happy for him.”
“Happy? Girl, he’s living the dream! And we—well, we’ve got our own things going on, right? Speaking of which, how’s Lila?”
Maya glanced at the small figure sprawled out on the floor, her daughter, Lila, busy coloring with crayons. “She’s good. Getting too big, too fast.”
“Can’t wait to see you both again soon. But listen, have you reached out to Seb? I mean, you two were close...”
Maya’s chest tightened. Close didn’t even begin to cover it. “No, I haven’t. He’s busy, Ani. He’s got his new life.”
Anika was quiet for a moment, the weight of the unsaid words hanging between them. Finally, she spoke, her tone softening. “You should at least text him, Maya. I think it would mean something to him.”
Maya’s fingers tightened around the phone. “Maybe.”
“Alright, I’ll stop bugging you about it. Just think about it, okay? Love you.”
“Love you too, Ani.” Maya ended the call and dropped the phone onto the bed. She let out a slow breath, the photograph still clutched in her other hand.
“Mommy, look!” Lila’s excited voice pulled her from her thoughts. The little girl held up a drawing—an abstract swirl of colors that made Maya’s heart ache with a mix of pride and fear.
“Wow, Lila, that’s beautiful,” Maya said, crouching down beside her daughter.
“Can we send it to Daddy?” Lila asked, her big eyes hopeful.
Maya’s heart skipped a beat. “Sure, sweetie. Let’s put it in a special place for now, okay?”
Lila nodded happily, returning to her crayons.
Maya stood up, the weight of her secrets heavy on her shoulders. She knew she couldn’t keep the past buried forever. But for now, she wasn’t ready to face what might happen if she unearthed it.
YOU ARE READING
Unwritten Scripts
RomanceMaya and Sebastian, two friends who share a secret they can't fully remember from their final night of high school. Years later, their paths cross again in the glitz of Hollywood, where unfinished stories and unspoken feelings come to light. As they...
