Eternal Melody

Morning - Anna's Perspective (Continued)

The room felt smaller now, even as more of John's friends filtered in, half-asleep and confused. Anna could feel the weight of their curious stares, the way they exchanged looks as if they were silently piecing together the scene in front of them.

What must they think? she wondered. She didn't belong here, not like this.

The warmth she had felt with John moments ago was now tangled with a knot of unease growing in her chest. His calm, easy presence was like a lifeline she was trying to hold on to, but the reality of the situation was starting to creep back in. She had to figure this out, and she couldn't just ignore the fact that she had a boyfriend. The guilt she had been trying to push away since the night before was coming back, sharper and more painful than ever.

Anna glanced at John, who was still smiling easily, talking quietly with one of his friends. He didn't seem bothered at all. But why? He had known about her boyfriend this entire time, yet he hadn't said a word. He hadn't stopped anything from happening last night.

He must have known I was in a relationship, she thought, but why didn't he care?

She was snapped out of her thoughts by John's voice again. He was saying something to the group, joking with his friends, as if this was just another normal morning. But Anna couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. This wasn't normal. It wasn't simple.

Suddenly, it all became too much.

"I need to tell you something," Anna blurted out, her voice louder than she had intended.

The conversation in the kitchen fell quiet, and all eyes turned to her. She could feel her face flush, but she didn't look away from John. His expression shifted, softening as he turned his full attention back to her. His friends exchanged confused glances, but John didn't seem surprised. He already knew what was coming.

"I need to explain everything," she said, her voice softer now, almost pleading. "About my boyfriend. About... about us."

John didn't say anything at first. He just watched her, his gaze steady and calm. Then, after a moment, he nodded slowly. "Okay," he said, his voice gentle. "Let's talk."

He stood up, motioning for her to follow him out of the kitchen. Anna felt her heart racing as she stood, acutely aware of the way his friends were still watching, their eyes full of questions they weren't asking.

As they stepped into the hallway, Anna's mind raced, trying to find the right words. She needed to tell him everything—the truth about her relationship, how confused she felt, how torn she was between her life with her boyfriend and whatever this was with John.

Once they were alone in the living room, John turned to face her, his expression open and patient, as if he already knew what she was going to say. He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning casually against the wall, but there was something different in his eyes now—a seriousness that hadn't been there before.

"You don't have to be so nervous," he said quietly, offering her a small, reassuring smile. "I've known since the beginning, Anna. I knew you had a boyfriend. I just... I didn't bring it up because I wanted you to decide when to talk about it."

Anna's breath caught in her throat. He had known the entire time—every second they had spent together, every moment that had passed between them. He had known she wasn't single, and yet he had still kissed her, still held her like it meant something more.

"Why didn't you stop me?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. "Why didn't you say anything?"

John's smile faded, replaced with a look of quiet understanding. He stepped closer, his voice soft but firm. "Because I didn't want to push you away. I could see how torn you were. I didn't want to make things harder for you. And... I didn't want to lose you, Anna."

Her chest tightened at his words, the raw honesty in them. She had been so wrapped up in her own confusion, she hadn't stopped to think about how John must have felt. He had known she was in a relationship, but he had still wanted her, still cared enough to let her decide when she was ready to face the truth.

"But I don't know what to do," she admitted, her voice trembling. "I don't know what I want. I have a boyfriend, and he's... he's good to me. But last night, being with you, it felt like... like something I haven't felt in so long. And now I don't know what's right or wrong anymore."

John's eyes softened, and he reached out, gently taking her hands in his. His touch was warm, grounding her in the moment. "I can't tell you what's right or wrong," he said quietly. "But I do know that whatever this is between us, it's real. I felt it too, Anna. But you need to figure out what you want. I won't push you."

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. His kindness, his patience—it was almost too much to bear. She didn't deserve this, didn't deserve him waiting for her like this when she couldn't even make sense of her own feelings. But she didn't want to lose him, either.

"I just need time," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I need to figure this out. I need to talk to my boyfriend. I can't keep doing this without being honest."

John nodded, his thumbs gently brushing over the backs of her hands. "Take the time you need. I'm not going anywhere."

The weight in her chest eased, just a little, knowing he wasn't angry, that he wasn't going to walk away from her. But she knew this wasn't over. She had to face her boyfriend, had to figure out what she really wanted, because the pull she felt toward John wasn't going to just disappear.

As they stood there in the quiet of the living room, John's friends began to stir again, voices and footsteps echoing from the kitchen. It was as if the world outside their bubble was starting to come alive again, reminding them that life had to go on, even if everything felt like it was hanging in the balance.

John squeezed her hands one last time before letting go, stepping back with a small, bittersweet smile. "You still hungry? I saved you some coffee," he said, his voice lighter now, trying to ease the tension.

Anna managed a smile, nodding. "Yeah, I could use some."

And with that, they walked back toward the kitchen, where some of John's friends were still gathered, looking at them with curious, confused expressions. But Anna didn't care anymore. She had said what she needed to say, and now, it was just a matter of time before she figured out what came next.

As she sat back down at the table, surrounded by strangers who didn't know the full story, she caught John's eye across the room. He smiled at her, that same warm, reassuring smile that had been there from the beginning. And for the first time in a long while, she felt like maybe—just maybe—everything would be okay.