July to November

SΞPΓΞMБΞЯ

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It was a cool September afternoon when Haven first met Patricia. He was sitting alone at his favorite café, working on his notebook, when she walked in, her presence demanding attention without effort. With her fiery red hair and confident stride, Patricia stood out. She approached him with a warm smile, striking up a conversation as if they had known each other for years.

Before long, they began meeting regularly, sharing casual talks over coffee. Patricia was lively, funny, and seemed to enjoy talking about anything and everything. But one day, their conversation took an unexpected turn.

"Haven," Patricia began, her voice soft and trembling as if she was holding something back. "There's something I need to tell you."

Haven glanced up from his notebook, his brow furrowing at the serious tone in her voice. "What is it?"

She hesitated, then sighed dramatically, her fingers fidgeting with her cup. "It's about Maria."

Haven's chest tightened. Maria—his special friend—had always been a constant support in his life. They had grown close over the months, sharing deep conversations about his writing, life, and everything in between.

"What about Maria?" he asked, cautiously.

Patricia bit her lip, looking down as if she were struggling to get the words out. "I don't want to cause any trouble, but... she's hurt me. A lot."

Haven's eyes widened. "What do you mean? Maria would never hurt anyone."

Patricia shook her head, her expression pained. "I thought the same thing, but... she's been awful to me. Ever since she found out that we've been talking, she's said terrible things. She accused me of trying to come between you two, and when I tried to explain, she... she made me feel worthless."

Haven's heart sank, confusion swirling in his mind. Maria, the same Maria who had always been kind, who had encouraged him, didn't seem capable of such cruelty. But the way Patricia told it—the tremor in her voice, the sadness in her eyes—made it hard to dismiss.

"Are you sure?" Haven asked quietly. "Maria's never acted that way before."

"I know," Patricia said, wiping at her eyes as though she was fighting back tears. "I thought she was your friend. But when she started seeing how close we were getting, she became... jealous. She said I was trying to replace her, that you only needed her. I didn't know what to do, Haven. I thought I should just stay away, but it's been eating at me."

Haven was silent, his mind racing. He didn't know what to think. The Maria he knew was kind, patient, and understanding. But Patricia looked so hurt, her voice so convincing, that doubt began to creep in.

"I can't believe Maria would act like that," Haven murmured. "It doesn't sound like her at all."

Patricia reached across the table, gently placing her hand on his. "I wish it weren't true. I wouldn't lie about something like this. I thought you should know because... I care about you, Haven. I don't want someone to hurt you the way she's hurt me."

Haven sat back, the weight of Patricia's words sinking in. He felt torn between the loyalty he had toward Maria and the empathy he felt for Patricia, who was acting like a victim in all of this. Could Maria really have lashed out at Patricia out of jealousy?

Later that evening, Haven met Maria at the lake where they always sat to talk. The sunset was fading into the horizon, casting a warm glow over the water. But tonight, Haven couldn't feel the usual peace their meetings brought.

"Maria," he began slowly, unsure of how to approach the subject. "Can we talk about Patricia?"

Maria looked up, her expression curious but calm. "Sure. What about her?"

Haven took a deep breath. "She told me... that you said some hurtful things to her. That you accused her of trying to come between us."

Maria's face softened, a flicker of sadness crossing her eyes. "Haven, I didn't say anything like that. Patricia's not being honest with you."

"She seemed really upset," Haven said, still unsure.

Maria sighed, her voice steady but gentle. "Patricia's playing a game. She wants to create a wedge between us, and she's using this story to make herself look like the victim. I've never hurt her, Haven. But I think she's hoping you'll believe her and pull away from me."

Haven stared at her, the pieces slowly falling into place. Patricia's dramatic story, her sudden tears—it all felt too rehearsed now that he thought about it. Maria had never given him any reason to doubt her, but Patricia's false vulnerability had made him question what he knew to be true.

Haven's jaw was clenched, his hands gripping as he glared at Maria. She had just told him her thoughts on Patricia—that she was manipulating him, lying about being hurt. But Haven wasn't having it.

"Why would you say that about her?" Haven snapped, his voice colder than Maria had ever heard. "Patricia hasn't done anything wrong, Maria!"

Maria looked at him, her face calm but her eyes full of concern. "Haven, I'm not saying this to hurt you. I just want you to see what's happening. She's twisting the truth to make you believe she's the victim."

Haven's face darkened, anger bubbling inside him. "You're just jealous because I've been spending time with her. You can't stand that someone else cares about me!"

Maria's eyes widened slightly, hurt flashing across her face. "That's not true, Haven. I care about you, that's why I'm telling you this. I don't want to see you get hurt by someone who's not being honest."

Haven slammed his hand on the table, his voice rising. "You think you know everything, don't you? You act like you're always right, like I'm just too blind to see what's going on. But maybe you're the one with the problem, Maria. Maybe you're the one who can't handle someone else being important to me!"

Maria flinched at his words, her lips trembling slightly, but she held her ground. "I'm not trying to take anyone away from you, Haven. I just don't trust Patricia, and I don't want her to hurt you."

"Enough!" Haven cut her off, his voice sharp. "You don't know her like I do. Patricia has been nothing but kind to me, and all you've done is tear her down because you can't handle that she's part of my life now."

Maria's expression softened, sadness clear in her eyes. "Haven, I'm not trying to tear her down. I'm worried about you. That's all I care about."

"Well, maybe you should worry about yourself for once," Haven shot back, his words laced with bitterness. "Maybe I don't need your advice anymore. Maybe Patricia is the one who really understands me, not you."

The silence that followed was heavy, suffocating. Maria's eyes shimmered with unshed tears, but she blinked them back, nodding slightly as she stood up. She didn't say a word, just gave him one last look—full of hurt, disappointment, and something else he couldn't quite place—before walking away.

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