Beneath The Surface

Chapter 25: The Breaking Point

Ava sat at the edge of her bed, staring blankly at her reflection in the vanity mirror. The confrontation with Lucas still weighed heavily on her, and Ethan's text messages were piling up on her phone, unanswered. She felt trapped in her own emotions, pulled in different directions by her feelings for both boys. It was too much.

With a sigh, she stood up and grabbed her makeup bag, something that had always brought her comfort. Sitting back down, she pulled out her foundation, gently applying it to her skin. The brush strokes felt soothing, a temporary escape from the chaos in her mind. As the layers of makeup covered her insecurities, Ava felt a sense of control. But deep down, she knew it was just a mask.

Halfway through applying her eyeliner, her phone buzzed. Ava paused and glanced at the screen—it was a call from Ethan. She hesitated for a moment before answering.

"Hey," she said quietly.

"Hey," Ethan's voice was soft, but there was a hint of concern. "I haven't heard from you all day. Are you okay?"

Ava bit her lip, trying to find the words. "I'm... I don't know. It's been a rough day."

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, his tone gentle and patient.

Ava glanced at her reflection, the makeup half-done, a metaphor for how incomplete she felt inside. "It's complicated, Ethan. Everything's just... messed up."

There was a pause on the other end. "Is this about Lucas?"

Ava's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't told Ethan about her conversation with Lucas, but he wasn't a fool. He had always been perceptive, especially when it came to her.

"Yeah," she admitted, her voice barely a whisper.

Ethan sighed, and for a moment, there was silence between them. Ava could hear the sound of his breathing, steady and calm, even though she knew he had to be hurting too.

"I figured," he finally said. "Listen, Ava, I know you care about him. And I get it—I do. But I care about you too, and I don't want you to feel like you're stuck in the middle. You don't owe me or Lucas anything. You need to figure out what you want."

Ava's chest tightened. That was the problem—she didn't know what she wanted. She cared about Ethan deeply, but her feelings for Lucas were just as strong. Both boys meant the world to her, but choosing one meant losing the other, and she wasn't sure she could handle that.

"I don't want to hurt either of you," she said, her voice cracking.

"You're not hurting me by being honest, Ava," Ethan said softly. "The only thing that would hurt is if you tried to force something that wasn't right. I just want you to be happy, whatever that means."

Ava closed her eyes, tears threatening to spill. Ethan had always been so kind, so understanding. It made everything harder, knowing that no matter what she decided, someone was going to get hurt.

"I don't know what to do," she whispered.

"You don't have to decide right now," Ethan replied gently. "Just... take your time. And if you need me, I'm here."

Ava nodded, even though he couldn't see her. "Thank you, Ethan. I really appreciate you."

"Anytime," he said softly. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will," she promised, though she wasn't entirely sure how.

After they hung up, Ava sat there for a long moment, staring at her phone. She knew Ethan was right—she couldn't keep avoiding the truth. Sooner or later, she would have to make a decision. But for now, she didn't have the strength.

She glanced back at her reflection, wiping away the half-applied eyeliner. The makeup wasn't going to fix anything. No amount of foundation could cover the cracks in her heart, and no brush stroke could smooth over the confusion in her mind.

She stood up and headed to the bathroom, washing away the makeup she had so carefully applied just moments before. As the water ran over her face, Ava realized something—maybe it was time to start being real, not just with Ethan or Lucas, but with herself.

This was her breaking point. Something had to change.