Beneath The Surface

Chapter 52: Fractured Moments

Ava barely slept that night, her mind spinning in a thousand different directions. Lucas's voice haunted her thoughts, the weight of his words settling like stones in her chest. She couldn't forget the way he sounded—so broken, so desperate for her to forgive him. But how could she forget the pain he had caused? How could she erase the months of heartache that followed his departure?

The next morning, she woke up feeling emotionally drained, the decision she had to make looming over her. She was grateful it was Saturday, so she didn't have to face Ethan or deal with the pressure of pretending everything was fine. But even with a day off from school, there was no escaping her feelings.

Ava spent most of the day in her room, staring at her phone, debating whether she should call Lucas back or try to distance herself from him completely. Every time she picked up the phone, her hand shook with hesitation. It would be easier if she didn't feel so conflicted—if her heart wasn't still tangled up in the memories of what they once had.

Later that afternoon, Ava's mom knocked on her door, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Ava, you've been in your room all day. Are you okay?" her mom asked, her voice soft and full of concern.

Ava sighed, running her hands through her hair. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... thinking."

Her mom walked in, sitting on the edge of Ava's bed. She studied her daughter for a moment, noticing the bags under her eyes and the tension in her face. "You've been through a lot lately," her mom said gently. "It's okay to talk about it if you need to."

Ava hesitated. She hadn't really talked to anyone about what was going on with Lucas, not even her mom. But the weight of it was becoming too much to carry on her own.

"Lucas called me," Ava admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Her mom's eyes widened slightly, and she nodded, urging her to continue.

"He wants to get back together," Ava continued, feeling her throat tighten with emotion. "But I don't know if I can. Ethan's been so good to me, and I care about him, but Lucas... I don't know. It's just so complicated."

Her mom reached out and took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Ava, you've been through a lot with both of them. But you don't have to make a decision right away. You need to figure out what's best for you, not just what you think will make everyone else happy."

Ava felt a lump form in her throat, her mom's words hitting her harder than she expected. "I just don't want to hurt anyone," she said softly, her eyes welling up with tears.

"You're not responsible for other people's feelings," her mom replied gently. "Sometimes, making the right choice for yourself means that someone else might get hurt. But you can't lose yourself in the process."

Ava wiped her eyes, nodding. She knew her mom was right, but it didn't make the decision any easier. She had always been the type to put others first, to make sure everyone else was okay. But now, she was starting to realize that she couldn't keep doing that at the expense of her own happiness.

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That evening, Ava went for a walk to clear her head. The sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the neighborhood, but the beauty of it did little to soothe her racing thoughts. She needed space, needed time to think, but everywhere she turned, memories of Lucas and Ethan seemed to follow her.

As she walked, Ava pulled out her phone and stared at the messages from Lucas. He had sent her a few since their last call, each one more heartfelt than the last. She knew he was trying to prove that he had changed, but part of her was afraid that if she let him back into her life, he would hurt her all over again.

Before she could dwell on it too much, her phone buzzed with a new message. It was from Ethan.

**Ethan:** "Hey, I was thinking about you. Want to grab dinner tonight?"

Ava's heart sank. She hadn't told Ethan about Lucas yet. She wasn't even sure how to start that conversation. But at the same time, she couldn't avoid him forever. He deserved to know what was going on, even if it would break his heart.

After a few moments of hesitation, Ava texted him back.

**Ava:** "Yeah, dinner sounds good. Can we talk?"

The moment she hit send, her stomach churned with nerves. She knew what she had to do—she had to be honest with Ethan, no matter how hard it was. But that didn't make the idea of it any less terrifying.

---

When Ava met Ethan later that evening, they went to their favorite diner—a small, cozy place they had been going to since they first started spending time together. But tonight, the atmosphere felt different, heavier, as if both of them could sense the tension in the air.

Ethan smiled at her when she walked in, his eyes lighting up at the sight of her. But Ava could barely return the smile, her guilt eating away at her. She didn't want to hurt him. She didn't want to break the trust they had built. But she couldn't keep pretending everything was fine.

Once they sat down, Ethan looked at her with concern. "What's going on, Ava? You seem... off."

Ava swallowed hard, her hands trembling slightly as she folded them in her lap. "There's something I need to tell you," she began, her voice barely steady.

Ethan leaned in, his brow furrowed with worry. "What is it?"

Ava took a deep breath, knowing that the next few moments would change everything between them.

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