Fragments Of Us

Chapter 6

The next morning, Milda woke up feeling uneasy. Rina was sprawled across her living room couch, snoring softly, her energy from the night before completely spent. Milda had tried to sleep, but her mind wouldn't let her. Thoughts of Lucas, of Josh, and the strange mix of guilt and confusion that followed her around had kept her awake.

She quietly slipped out of bed and padded to the kitchen, making herself a cup of coffee. As the warm aroma filled the air, she leaned against the counter, staring out the window at the early morning sky. Everything felt different now, and she couldn't figure out how to put it all back in place.

Her phone buzzed on the counter. It was a message from Lucas.

Lucas
I had a nice time last night. Let's talk soon?

Milda stared at the message, her chest tightening. He deserved better than half-hearted reassurances. But could she really give him the truth?

Before she could reply, there was another knock at the door. She glanced at the clock-it was barely 8 a.m. Who could be visiting so early?

Opening the door, Milda was greeted by the familiar face of Sophia, her best friend since university. Sophia was a force of nature-strong-willed, fiercely protective, and never afraid to speak her mind. She was also the only person Milda had confided in about Josh.

"Milds! I thought I'd drop by before heading to work," Sophia said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. She noticed Rina asleep on the couch and raised an eyebrow. "Did I miss a party?"

"More like an impromptu reunion," Milda replied, managing a small smile. "Rina showed up unannounced last night."

"Ah, classic Rina." Sophia dropped her purse onto the kitchen table and eyed Milda closely. "You okay? You look like you didn't sleep."

Milda sighed and poured another cup of coffee for her friend. "I didn't. Things have been... complicated."

Sophia leaned against the counter, her expression softening. "Is it about Lucas or Josh?"

Milda winced. "Both."

Sophia took a sip of her coffee, her eyes never leaving Milda's. "You need to talk to Lucas, Milds. I know it's hard, but he deserves to know what's going on."

"I know," Milda said, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I don't even know what's going on myself."

Sophia nodded, her gaze thoughtful. "What about Josh? Have you figured out what you feel for him?"

Milda shook her head, the confusion swirling inside her threatening to overwhelm her. "It's not like I'm in love with him, Sophia. But there's... something. I don't even know how to describe it."

Sophia was quiet for a moment, then set her cup down. "You don't have to know right now. But you do need to stop pretending everything is fine with Lucas. You're only going to hurt him more if you keep this up."

Milda knew her friend was right, but that didn't make it any easier.

As they stood there in silence, Rina stirred on the couch, stretching out lazily before sitting up. She glanced around, her eyes bleary from sleep, before settling on the two women in the kitchen.

"Morning," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "What are we talking about?"

"Nothing you'd be interested in," Sophia said, giving Rina a teasing smile.

Rina shot her a playful glare. "I'm always interested in your gossip."

Milda rolled her eyes. "It's not gossip. Just... life."

Rina raised an eyebrow, then stood up and made her way to the kitchen, grabbing the last cup of coffee. "Well, if it's anything to do with Lucas, I'm all ears. I've been saying for months now you two need to figure things out."

Sophia glanced at Milda, a small smirk playing on her lips. "Looks like you've got more than one person on your case."

Milda groaned, feeling cornered by the two most outspoken women in her life. But as much as she wanted to avoid the conversation, she knew she couldn't run from it forever. The truth was, she needed to figure out what she wanted, not just for Lucas's sake, but for her own.

"I'm working on it, okay?" Milda said, her tone a bit sharper than she intended. "I just need some time to think."

Rina and Sophia exchanged a glance, but neither of them pushed further. Instead, they shifted the conversation to lighter topics-Rina's latest fashion escapades and Sophia's upcoming work project. But even as they laughed and talked, Milda's mind was elsewhere, trying to untangle the knot of emotions that had taken root in her heart.

Later that afternoon, Lucas called, his voice calm but tinged with concern. "Hey, I just wanted to check in. You seemed off last night."

Milda hesitated, the words she needed to say weighing heavily on her. "I've just been stressed with work. It's nothing to worry about."

"I get that," Lucas said, sounding unconvinced. "But if there's more going on, you can tell me."

Milda closed her eyes, feeling the familiar tug of guilt. "I know."

There was a brief silence on the other end before Lucas spoke again. "Maybe we could get away for a bit. You know, take some time together and just... breathe. What do you think?"

Milda's heart sank. The idea of spending uninterrupted time with Lucas should have excited her, but all she felt was dread. "I'll think about it," she replied softly, knowing that wasn't the answer he was hoping for.

As she hung up the phone, Milda sank onto her couch, her mind racing. She couldn't keep stringing Lucas along, pretending everything was fine when it clearly wasn't. And as much as she wanted to avoid the truth, she knew it was only a matter of time before everything came crashing down.