The veil of hearts

•fractured hearts•

35
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A/N: Listen to the music

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Joshua's POV

The sound of Aina's footsteps faded, leaving me alone with the rhythmic crash of waves and the hollow ache in my chest. I stood there, rooted to the spot, as if moving would make her rejection real.

"She's gone," I whispered to the empty beach, my voice cracking on the words.

The enormity of what had just happened crashed over me like a tidal wave. My legs gave out, and I sank to my knees in the cool sand. The tears I'd been holding back finally spilled over, hot trails down my cheeks contrasting with the chill of the evening air.

"Why?" I choked out between sobs. "Why wasn't I enough?"

My fingers dug into the sand, grasping for something solid to anchor me as my world spun out of control. Every shared moment, every smile, every time I thought I saw a flicker of something more in Aina's eyes - they all replayed in my mind, taunting me with what could have been.

"I love you," I said to the ocean, imagining Aina could somehow hear me. "I love you, and I don't know how to stop."

The waves continued their relentless advance and retreat, indifferent to my pain. I looked up at the stars, remembering how full of hope I'd been just moments ago.

"What do I do now?" I asked the silent sky. "How do I face tomorrow knowing she doesn't love me back?"

My sobs gradually quieted, replaced by a deep, aching emptiness. I sat there for what felt like hours, letting the sound of the sea wash over me, trying to come to terms with the sudden void in my life.

The rain poured down, mingling with my tears as I stumbled through the darkened streets. My clothes clung to me, heavy and cold, but I barely noticed. All I could feel was the aching void in my chest where hope had once resided.

I don't remember the journey, only that suddenly I was standing in front of Mike's apartment, my fist pounding weakly on the door. Time seemed to stretch, each second an eternity of pain.

The door swung open, and Mike's familiar face appeared, his expression quickly shifting from confusion to concern.

"Josh? What the hell—"

I tried to speak, but a sob escaped instead. My legs gave way, and I would have collapsed if Mike hadn't caught me, pulling me into the apartment.

"Hey, hey, what happened? Are you hurt?" Mike's voice was laced with worry as he guided me to the couch.

I shook my head, unable to form words. The tears wouldn't stop, my body shaking with the force of my grief.

Mike disappeared for a moment, returning with a towel and a blanket. He draped the blanket over my shoulders, then sat beside me, his hand on my back.

"Josh, talk to me. What's going on?"

I took a shuddering breath, finally finding my voice. "It's over, Mike," I choked out. "She doesn't... she doesn't love me."

Understanding dawned on Mike's face. "Aina?" he asked softly.

The sound of her name sent a fresh wave of pain through me. I nodded, a keening sound escaping my throat.

"Oh, Josh," Mike said, pulling me into a hug.

I broke down completely then, sobbing into my best friend's shoulder. "I thought... I really thought she felt the same way," I managed between gasps. "But she doesn't. She doesn't love me, Mike. What am I going to do?"

Mike held me tighter, his own voice thick with emotion. "I'm so sorry, Josh. I'm so, so sorry."

We sat like that for what felt like hours, my sobs gradually subsiding into quiet sniffles. The rain continued to pour outside, a fitting backdrop to my shattered heart.

"I don't know how to face tomorrow," I whispered. "How do I go on, knowing she'll never feel the same way?"

Mike pulled back, looking me in the eye. "One day at a time, Josh. That's all you can do. And I'll be here, every step of the way."

I nodded, grateful for his friendship even as the pain threatened to overwhelm me again.

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Aina's POV

As soon as I turned away from Joshua, the tears I had been holding back began to fall freely. Each step away from him felt like a dagger in my heart, but I forced myself to keep walking, my vision blurred by the tears.

Once I was out of his sight, I broke into a run, my feet pounding against the sand as I tried to outrun the pain. But it was futile. The ache in my chest only grew stronger.

I finally collapsed onto the sand, far down the beach, my body wracked with sobs. "I'm so sorry, Joshua," I whispered into the night air. "I'm so very in love with you."

The memory of his touch, his scent, the warmth in his eyes - everything about him made my heart swell with love. And that's precisely why I had to push him away.

"Your touch, your scent, everything makes me fall more in love," I confessed to the empty beach. "But I couldn't say that. Because I know you would ruin yourself for me. You would do anything for me."

I hugged my knees to my chest, rocking back and forth as the tears continued to fall. "I wanted to protect you," I choked out. "That's why I had to lie."

The words I had spoken to him - "No, I don't" - echoed in my mind, each repetition feeling like my heart was being ripped apart. "Telling you I don't love you felt like my heart was being torn to shreds," I sobbed. "But I had no other choice. I don't."

The dangers lurking in my past, the uncertainties of my future - I couldn't drag Joshua into that. He deserved better than a life constantly looking over his shoulder, always in danger.

"I love you too much to ruin your life," I whispered, my voice hoarse from crying. "Even if it means breaking both our hearts."

As the first light of dawn began to paint the sky, I slowly got to my feet, my body heavy with grief and exhaustion. I took one last look in the direction where I had left Joshua.

"Goodbye, my love," I murmured. "I hope someday you'll understand and forgive me."

With a heavy heart, I turned away from the beach, leaving behind the man I loved and the future we could have had. The day was beginning, and somehow, I had to find the strength to face it alone, carrying the weight of my love and my lies.

AUTHOR's NOTE

So here it is.

What's going to happen?

Is she really going to leave Almira?

I also have to mention that Almira university is located in Elmira, New York City. 

Joshua is an American. About Aina, she is certainly a combination of Indian muslim but then what? Is she the true daughter of Yilmaz from Turkey? Or is she the daughter of Virtanen?