Whispers of Deceit

CHAPTER 2 : THE FALLOUT

The worst part of betrayal isn't the act itself. It's the aftershocks. The tiny reminders that sneak up when you least expect them, the inside jokes that feel hollow now, the empty space next to you where she used to sit, the photos of two girls who don't exist anymore. I hadn't spoken to Mia since that day. It's not that I didn't want to. I just didn't know how. Every time I picked up my phone, her number stared back at me, but the words were gone. I couldn't even bring myself to type, "Why?" It didn't matter. She hadn't reached out either. The silence between us had grown so thick that it felt like we were both waiting for the other to make the first move, but neither of us dared to cross the line. Maybe we didn't know how. And maybe I was afraid of what would happen if I heard her side of the story. I pulled my hoodie tighter as I walked past the café where we used to meet every Friday after school. A group of girls sat at our usual table, laughing loudly, unaware of the significance that spot held for me. For us. I quickened my pace, feeling the familiar ache rise in my chest. "Forget her," my brother, Jason, had said. "If she betrayed you once, she'll do it again." But it wasn't that simple. You can't just turn off years of friendship like a switch. Mia and I weren't just friends, we were practically sisters. She was there for every heartbreak, every success, every secret I never told anyone else. And now she is gone. "Hey, wait up!" A voice called from behind. I stopped, heart pounding, knowing before I even turned around. Mia. I hadn't seen her in weeks, but there she was, jogging to catch up. She looked the same, but something was different like the connection we once had wasn't there anymore. I stared at her, unsure of what to say. "I've been wanting to talk to you," she started, her voice soft, cautious. I didn't reply. My silence seemed to weigh heavy in the air between us, a chasm neither of us knew how to cross. "I'm sorry," she said, and for a moment, I almost believed her. Almost. But sorry wasn't enough. Sorry I couldn't undo what she'd done. I shook my head, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. "Why didn't you just tell me the truth? Why did you lie?" She flinched, and for the first time, I saw it. Guilt. Regret. It was all over her face. But that didn't change anything. "I didn't want to hurt you," she whispered. "But you did." Mia looked down at her hands, and for a moment, we stood there, two strangers trapped in the wreckage of what used to be. The truth was, I wasn't sure we could come back from this. I wasn't sure if I even wanted to.