A Sky Full of Stars

Chapter 7 - Lena - A Brush with Truth

Lena stood in her cozy studio, surrounded by half-finished canvases and scattered paint tubes. The morning light streaming through the window highlighted the chaos, but her mind was elsewhere. She couldn't shake the memory of Val's smile, the way her eyes sparkled under the starry night sky.

It had been years since Lena last picked up a brush with serious intention. College days, filled with abstraction and expressionism, seemed like a lifetime ago. Now, her creative outlet lay in words, not colors. Yet, the emotions swirling inside her demanded a different kind of expression.

Lena's gaze drifted to the canvas in front of her, and her breath caught. Val's face stared back, piercing blue eyes seeming to hold her in place. The paint was still wet, a testament to the urgency with which Lena had brought Val to life.

Sophia's face flashed in her mind. Lena's heart contacted.

"No, I won't think of her," Lena whispered, pushing aside the memories.

But the comparison lingered: Val's captivating presence, the effortless connection, and the painful reality – Val was in a committed relationship, just like Sophia had been.

Lena's mind recoiled, fearing history repeating itself. She couldn't risk another heartbreak.

The phone rang, shrill in the silence. Lena hesitated before answering.

"Lena, it's Emily. Have you figured out what to do with the book yet?" her editor asked, voice tinged with impatience.

Lena felt a surge of confusion. The book, once her passion project, now seemed distant and unimportant. "I... I don't know, Emily. I'm still working on it."

Emily's sigh was audible. "Lena, we need this manuscript in six weeks. You know that."

In a moment of frustration, Lena blurted out, "I'm cancelling the book deal."

"Lena, you're making a huge mistake. Financially, professionally... This will damage your reputation. Are you thinking clearly?" Emily's words stung, but Lena stood firm.

"Emily, I said what I said."

There was a pause on the other end. "Lena, don't be rash. We can-"

Lena hung up, her heart racing. The phone immediately began ringing again, but she silenced it and placed it face down on the desk.

She sat down at her writing desk, surrounded by scraps of paper and half-written sentences. Her mind wandered back to the night Val left her outside the party.

The stars had twinkled above, and Val's presence still lingered, like a ghostly imprint on her skin. Lena closed her eyes, letting the memories wash over her.

She recalled the way Val's eyes had locked onto hers, the spark of connection that had left her breathless. The world had melted away, leaving only the two of them, suspended in time.

Lena's fingers drifted across her keyboard, but no words appeared. Instead, she let her thoughts unfold, unstructured and raw.

"What am I feeling?" Lena whispered to herself, eyes still closed. "What is this?"

As she delved deeper into her memories, Lena's emotions began to untangle, thread by thread.

Her fingers moved silently, typing out a private confession. The words flowed onto the page, a hidden language only she could understand.

The screen glowed with intimate truths, whispers of longing and curiosity. Lena's heart beat faster, her secrets spilled onto the digital page.

With a deep breath, Lena saved the document, labelling it simply "Midnight." She closed her eyes, letting the chaos settle.