Heart Me

Chapter 42

Mia's POV

"I think... I shouldn't have done that. I'm confused, Mia. I don't want to hurt you."

His words hung in the air like a fragile thread, and I could see the confusion clouding his face. But that didn't change the way his actions stung, the way they made me feel.

"Don't tell me anything, Nate," I said, my voice was low but firm. "If it's something that will hurt me, I don't want to hear it. The same way you dismissed the fact that we ever dated, you can dismiss what just happened too. I don't want to come between you and Kayla."

He opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. "No, Nate. I'm serious. You love her. I can't be the person who ruins that. I won't be."

He stared at me for a moment, his face softening. "Mia, I'm sorry. I don't want to lose you as a friend."

I laughed bitterly, though it wasn't out of amusement. It was more of an attempt to mask the growing pain inside me. "Friend? It's so wonderful that we are just friends, aren't we?"

"Mia, don't," he whispered. His voice cracked slightly, like he was pleading for understanding.

But it didn't matter. Not anymore.

"I'll be fine, Nate," I said, taking a step back. "Kayla is a good girl. She doesn't have issues and mistakes. Unlike me. She's good for you. I know she is."

He hesitated for a moment, torn between the two worlds we had built-our past and his present with Kayla. But in the end, he nodded and slowly walked to the door. His shoulders sagged as if the weight of the moment pressed him down.

The door clicked shut behind him, leaving the room in a suffocating silence. I sank down on the bed, running my hands through my hair as a sob threatened to tear its way out of my throat. Why did everything feel so broken?

Nate had been the one constant in my life-the one person who knew me better than anyone. But now, even he wasn't mine anymore. He belonged to Kayla. A good girl. The kind of girl I could never be.

I wiped the stray tears that had fallen and tried to pull myself together. It was all too much, and my mind kept replaying the scene with Mr. Robins and Mrs. Sergal. I could feel my heart racing again, the panic creeping back in. My actions had consequences, and soon, I'd have to face them.

But at that moment, I just felt hollow. Alone.

A knock came at the door, interrupting my spiraling thoughts. I froze for a second, hoping it wasn't Nate coming back. I didn't think I could handle seeing him again right now. But when I opened the door, Tristan stood there, leaning casually against the frame, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Hey, can I come in?" he asked, his tone light, but his eyes hinted at something deeper.

I didn't answer immediately. Seeing Tristan at that moment was like pouring salt on a fresh wound. He was part of the distraction-part of the chaos I'd allowed to spin out of control.

"Tristan," I said softly, leaning my head against the doorframe. "Now's really not a good time."

"Come on, Mia," he said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. He closed the door behind him and crossed his arms, his gaze settling on me. "What's going on? You've been off lately. You disappeared and shut me out of your life and now you're acting as if you've seen a ghost. Am I the problem?"

"I don't want to talk about it," I mumbled, trying to avoid his probing eyes.

But Tristan wasn't one to let things slide. "Does this have something to do with Nate?"