Beneath The Surface

Chapter 50: Unspoken Longings

The weekend came quickly, but Ava felt no relief. She spent most of it cooped up in her room, lying on her bed and staring at the ceiling. Her phone buzzed with notifications—Ethan checking in, her friends asking if she wanted to hang out—but she ignored them. It was too much, all of it.

She was still reeling from the kiss with Ethan. The feel of his lips on hers, the warmth of his hand holding hers—it had all been too real. Too intense. She hadn't expected it, hadn't realized how much she'd been leaning on him, emotionally. And now that it had happened, she couldn't stop thinking about it.

But the guilt wouldn't leave her alone.

She wasn't ready for this. She wasn't ready to move on. Lucas still had a piece of her, and no matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise, it wasn't going to change overnight.

Her phone buzzed again, pulling her out of her thoughts. This time, it wasn't a text—it was a call. From Lucas.

Her heart skipped a beat as she stared at the screen, unsure of what to do. It had been weeks since they last spoke, since he had walked away without giving her a real explanation. She wanted to ignore it. She wanted to throw the phone across the room and pretend he didn't exist anymore. But her fingers had a mind of their own, and before she could stop herself, she answered.

"Hello?" Her voice was shaky, betraying the nervousness she felt.

There was a pause on the other end, and for a moment, she thought maybe he'd hung up. But then, his voice came through, low and unsure.

"Ava... Hey."

She swallowed hard. "Hey."

There was another pause. The tension between them was thick, palpable, even through the phone. She didn't know what to say. What could she say? Lucas had left without an explanation, and now he was calling as if nothing had happened. It made no sense.

"I... I just wanted to check on you," Lucas said finally. His voice was softer than she remembered, more hesitant. "I know things have been rough, and I've been a jerk for leaving the way I did. But I wanted to make sure you're okay."

Ava sat up on her bed, her chest tightening with frustration. "Why now, Lucas? Why are you calling me now, after everything?"

He sighed, and she could hear the regret in his voice. "I don't know. I guess I needed time to figure things out. I didn't handle things right, and I'm sorry. I just... I thought maybe we could talk."

Talk. That was what he wanted now. After weeks of silence, he wanted to talk.

"I don't know if I want to talk," Ava admitted, her voice shaking. "You left, Lucas. You left without even telling me why."

"I know," he said quietly. "And I regret that every day. I'm trying to make it right."

"Make it right?" She let out a bitter laugh. "You think you can just call me and everything will be okay? It doesn't work like that."

"I'm not asking for everything to be okay," he said, his voice strained. "I'm just asking for a chance to explain."

Ava closed her eyes, fighting the tears that were threatening to spill over. She had been waiting for this moment, waiting for Lucas to come back and give her the answers she needed. But now that it was happening, it didn't feel right. It didn't feel like enough.

"Lucas," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know if I can do this."

There was silence on the other end, and for a moment, Ava wondered if he had finally given up. But then, he spoke again, his voice filled with something she hadn't expected.

"Please, Ava. Just give me a chance."

Her heart ached at the vulnerability in his words, the sincerity she could hear in his voice. But she didn't know if she had it in her to open that door again. She didn't know if she could let him back in after everything that had happened.

"I'll think about it," she said finally, her voice quiet but firm.

"Okay," Lucas replied, sounding relieved. "That's all I'm asking for."

When the call ended, Ava stared at her phone for a long time, her mind swirling with confusion. Lucas wanted back in her life, but Ethan was already there, filling the void Lucas had left behind.

As the weight of her situation pressed down on her, Ava realized one thing: No matter what she decided, someone was going to get hurt.

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