Hearts in Bloom

Chapter 17

Aria stared at her phone, her chest tightening with each unanswered call and ignored message. Tobias hadn’t responded in weeks, and the silence was beginning to weigh on her. She couldn’t understand what had gone wrong. At first, she thought he might just be busy with exams or family, but as days turned into weeks, she felt a creeping sense of worry—and something else she couldn’t quite define.

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The distance between them left her feeling hollow, and she was beginning to realize just how much Tobias meant to her. She missed his jokes, his laughter, and even their silly arguments. Part of her couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, her feelings for Tobias went deeper than friendship. But she wasn’t sure if it was real or just a reaction to the distance between them. So she kept that thought buried, too afraid to explore it.

One morning, as she sat in the campus cafe, lost in her thoughts, Mia and Luna approached her with concerned expressions, settling into the chairs across from her. Mia’s gaze was sharp as she asked, “Aria, what’s going on? You haven’t been yourself lately. You’re not eating much, you’ve skipped our hangouts, and you’re barely talking to anyone. Is everything okay?”

Aria hesitated, her eyes drifting down to her phone resting on the table. The silence from Tobias had left a hollow ache in her chest, but she wasn’t sure how to explain it. After a moment, she took a shaky breath and confessed, “It’s Tobias. He’s… he’s not replying to any of my messages or picking up my calls. It’s been weeks now, and I don’t know why. I thought he’d at least tell me if something was wrong, but he’s just gone silent.”

Mia’s eyes softened with sympathy, but there was a hint of worry in her voice as she said, “Have you tried reaching out to Jaxon? Maybe he knows what’s going on with Tobias. They’re always in touch, right?”

Aria nodded. “That’s what I was thinking. Jaxon’s been texting me here and there, but he hasn’t mentioned anything specific about Tobias. I thought maybe he just didn’t know… or didn’t want to say.”

Luna, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up. “Wait—who are Tobias and Jaxon? I don’t think you’ve ever really explained much about them.”

Mia gave a small smile and turned to Luna. “Tobias and Jaxon are our best friends from childhood. We’ve all been close since we were kids. Tobias is especially close with Aria—kind of like her anchor. We’re all a really close-knit group.”

Aria managed a faint smile. “Yeah… Tobias and I have been through a lot together. He’s… he’s one of the most important people in my life.” Her voice wavered as she admitted, “I don’t know why he’s pulling away now. It’s like he’s just vanished.”

Mia placed a comforting hand on Aria’s. “Hey, it’s going to be okay. Jaxon’s been in touch with me, too, and he actually mentioned that Tobias has been acting distant lately. He said Tobias has been throwing himself into studying and barely leaves his room except for classes. When Jaxon tried to ask him about it, Tobias just brushed it off and said he was fine. But… it doesn’t sound like he’s really okay.”

Aria’s heart sank a little more. “So he’s shutting Jaxon out too? This isn’t like him at all.” She paused, then admitted softly, “I keep thinking it’s something I did. Like maybe I hurt him without realizing it.”

Luna looked at Aria with a thoughtful expression. “Maybe he just needs some space. Guys can be like that sometimes—they just go into their shell for a while. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t care about you.”

Aria nodded, forcing herself to believe it. “I just… I don’t know what to do. I keep replaying everything in my head, wondering if I missed something.” Her voice was barely a whisper now, and her eyes stung with unshed tears. “I thought we were closer than this.”

Mia leaned forward, squeezing Aria’s hand tightly. “We’ll figure this out together. And maybe once he’s ready, he’ll reach out to you. Just don’t lose hope, okay?”

Aria managed a weak smile, grateful for her friends’ support. Deep down, she knew Mia was right—Tobias would come around eventually. But until then, all she could do was wait and hold onto the hope that their friendship could survive this silence. The thought of Tobias drifting away, of him becoming just a memory, was too painful to bear.

As she walked back to her dorm that evening, her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. She wasn’t sure what the future held for them, but one thing was clear: Tobias meant far more to her than she’d ever realized, and the thought of losing him was beginning to feel like losing a piece of herself.

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My Random Silly Thoughts:

The Secret Code:
Kid: "I wrote a secret code in my diary!"
Mom: "What does it say?"
Kid: "I can’t tell you. It’s a secret!"
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