Defy: Taennie Special

- 4

Two days after their museum date, the once steady rhythm of messages from Koen stopped abruptly. Cielle tried to stay calm, convincing herself that he was just busy with work. But as hours turned into days without a response, her anxiety grew.

Sitting at her desk, she stared at her phone, her last message to Koen still unanswered. Her mind swirled with confusion and worry. She had sent several messages over the last few days, each one more desperate than the last.

**Cielle (text):
Hey Koen, I hope everything's okay. Let me know when you're free.

Two hours later:

**Cielle (text):
It's been a while since I heard from you. Is everything alright?

Another day passed. Still nothing.

**Cielle (text):
I'm starting to get a little worried. Just let me know you're okay.

No reply. Cielle was beginning to panic. She couldn't focus on her studies, her thoughts constantly returning to the unanswered messgae.

During their break, Amanda noticed the change in Cielle's demeanor. She leaned over, eyeing Cielle with a mix of concern and curiosity.

Amanda asked, "You've been glued to your phone lately. Everything alright?"

Cielle hesitated before nodding, though her face betrayed her uncertainty.

"It's Koen. I haven't heard from him in days. It's... weird. We were talking all the time, and then he just disappeared."

Amanda sighed, her face adopting a serious tone. "That sounds like a red flag, Cielle. You're already stressing yourself out over him, and he's what—27? Maybe the age gap is part of it. You're in totally different places."

Cielle's chest tightened at Amanda's words. She knew Amanda was trying to be a good friend, but the comment about their age gap hit too close to home.

"I don't know. He's just really busy with work. I'm sure there's a reason." Cielle replied, convicing herself that Koen's disappearance was just work related rather than some stuff Amanda was talking about.

Amanda shook her head slightly, "Just don't let this drag you down. If he's already going silent like this, that's not a good sign. You deserve someone who's consistent."

Cielle nodded but didn't respond. A part of her knew Amanda had a point, but she wasn't ready to give up on Koen yet. She needed to understand what was going on.

Later that evening, Cielle decided she had to find out what was happening. She paced around her room, contemplating her next move before grabbing her phone. Her sister Pauleen, being one of Koen's colleagues at the Menesez Law Firm, might know something.

Cielle (text):
Hey Pau, I've been trying to reach Koen for a few days about something we were working on, but he hasn't replied. Is everything okay with him?

Pauleen replied a few minutes later, her message brief.

Pauleen (text):
He's been out of town for a special case. Big deal. I thought you knew?

Cielle's heart sank. She hadn't known, and it hurt more than she expected that Koen hadn't mentioned it to her. Why hadn't he just told her before disappearing? It would have saved her all this worrying. She bit her lip, feeling the need to press further.

Cielle (text):
Oh, I didn't know. What kind of case?

Pauleen (text):
Can't give details, but it's important. He'll be back soon.

Cielle let out a frustrated sigh. Pauleen's casual response didn't ease her nerves. She couldn't understand why Koen hadn't said anything to her, even just a quick message to let her know he'd be busy.

Pauleen called her a few minutes later, her tone a bit sharp.

Pauleen on phone, "Cielle, why are you so concerned about Koen? He's just a guy you're casually texting for your academic needs, right? He's way older than you, and he's got his own life. You need to focus on your studies. This isn't like you."

Cielle hesitated, the lump in her throat making it hard to respond. "I... I just thought we were getting close."

Pauleen's voice softened, though there was still an edge of frustration. "Cielle, you're 18. He's almost 30. There's a big difference in your worlds right now. I don't want to see you getting hurt or wasting your time."

Cielle stayed quiet for a moment, letting her sister's words sink in. She wanted to argue, but the weight of the situation was starting to press down on her. Was she really expecting too much from Koen? Was their age gap a bigger issue than she had realized?

Pauleen added, "Look, I'm not saying this to upset you. I just don't want you chasing after someone when you're still young and have a lot of things to figure out."

Cielle nodded, though Pauleen couldn't see it. The conversation ended shortly after, leaving Cielle feeling more conflicted than before.

Over the next three weeks, Cielle tried her best to put Koen out of her mind. She threw herself into her studies, focusing on her journalism projects and spending more time with Amanda and her family. She went to coffee shops with her friends, visited her family on the weekends, and took long walks around campus to clear her head.

But no matter how much she tried to distract herself, Koen lingered in the back of her thoughts. Every time her phone buzzed, she hoped it was him, though it never was.

Amanda continued to remind her that moving on was probably the best option. And for a while, Cielle agreed. But as time passed, she couldn't shake the feeling of disappointment and confusion why Koen didn't even bother telling her.

Maybe, just maybe... she was the only one overlooking and overexpecting on what they had. She was the only one giving meaning to all that's happened.

Cielle thought about it, finally reached her breaking point. She picked up her phone, staring at the blank screen with tears welling in her eyes. She was tired of waiting, tired of the uncertainty, tired of feeling like she was chasing after someone who didn't care enough to respond.

With shaking hands, she typed out a long message to Koen, her emotions pouring out through every word.

Cielle (text):
Koen, I don't know why you disappeared, and I don't understand why you couldn't just let me know what was going on. A simple message wouldn't have hurt, but you left me in the dark, and I've been waiting for weeks. I thought we had something, but maybe I was wrong. I just wanted to know you were okay, but I can't keep doing this. This is the last time I'll cry over you. I promise myself that.

Tears fell freely as she sent the message, a wave of relief and sadness washing over her. She had said what she needed to say, even if she never got a response. This would be the last time she let herself feel this way.

With that, she turned off her phone and curled up on her bed, determined to let go of the hurt and confusion once and for all.