Eternal Echoes

Chapter Ninety-Three: The Crossroads of Confusion

Michaella's POV

The clinking of cups and the low murmur of conversations filled the café, blending with the warm smell of fresh pastries and coffee. I sat by the window, watching the rain lightly drizzling outside, the world a blur beyond the glass. I wrapped my fingers around the cup of coffee Ethan, and I had shared only minutes ago, but my mind was swirling with the conversation we'd just had. His words still stung a wound I hadn't expected to open.

I didn't mean to hurt him.

My phone buzzed on the table, snapping me out of my daze. Alex's name flashed across the screen. My heart sank. I wasn't ready for another confrontation, not after the whirlwind with Ethan.

"Hello?" I answered, my voice clipped.

"Michaella," his voice was smooth, too familiar. "Where are you?"

"In a café," I responded, keeping it short. "I'm busy right now."

There was a pause on the other end. The kind of pause that made my skin prickle.

"Busy? Michaella, come on, we need to talk," he pressed, and there was something different in his tone. "I thought we were past this."

"I'm not sure what you mean," I said, keeping my voice formal, distant. But I could hear the hurt creeping into his voice.

"Michaella, I kissed you. We shared something. Don't pretend like it didn't mean anything."

I sighed, glancing out the window again as the rain fell harder. I could feel my emotions pushing up against my ribs, my heart conflicted. "Alex, I haven't decided anything yet. I don't want to lead you on."

"You haven't decided?" he repeated, incredulous. "I thought... I thought we were moving forward. You kissed me back. That's not nothing."

"I didn't say it was nothing," I said, keeping my voice steady. "But I don't want to rush into anything."

He was silent for a moment, and I could hear his frustration building. "Fine. I'll give you space, but this—this thing between us deserves more than just formal conversations. We're not strangers, Michaella."

"I have to go," I said, hanging up before he could respond. My hands were trembling slightly, but I steadied them around the cup. I needed to talk to someone before I lost my mind. Without thinking twice, I dialled Marian's number.

She picked up on the third ring. "Ella! What's going on?"

"Can you meet me at the café? I need to talk." My voice must've given away how desperate I felt because she immediately agreed.

"I'll be there in ten."

I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself as I waited for her. Ethan. Alex. Everything was starting to blur together, and I didn't know how to untangle the mess I was in. Ten minutes felt like an eternity, but Marian arrived as promised, her umbrella dripping from the rain as she slipped into the seat across from me.

"Alright, what's going on?" she asked, her eyes full of concern. "You sounded like the world was ending."

I laughed a little, but there was no humour in it. "It feels like it."

I explained everything—the date with Alex, how conflicted I was, and then Ethan finding out and being hurt by it. Marian listened intently, her face softening with every word I spoke.

"I feel terrible, Marian," I confessed, my voice cracking. "Ethan was so hurt, and Alex is being so... persistent. I don't even know what I want anymore."