Phoenix Dreams

The Truth Comes Out

*****

Jalen drew up to the familiar location where he had promised to meet Zephyra. The text message from last week had been chewing at him, disrupting his attention, sleep, and performance on the court—everything. Now it was time to get to the bottom of things. He had taken the weekend off to clear his thoughts, hoping that everything was simply a big misunderstanding. He wanted to think she would never do such a thing to him. But doubts lingered. He sat on a bench by the park, and it wasn't long until he noticed her approaching him, her eyes warm and her smile the same as always. For a brief moment, he almost let his guard down, wanting to take her into his arms and forget about everything. But the memory of that text was too fresh and strong.

"Hey, Jay," she said softly, taking a seat beside him.

He didn't respond right away, his gaze fixed on the horizon as he gathered his thoughts. "Zeph, we need to talk. And I need you to be honest with me."

She looked at him, something shifting in her expression. Her smile faded, and she took a slow, steadying breath. "Of course, Jay. What's going on?"

He turned to face her, his jaw tight. "I got a message. An anonymous one. It said... that you've been seeing someone else."

Her face turned pale, and she looked away, her hands fumbling in her lap. That simple motion sent shivers down his spine. He had hoped she'd immediately reject it, laugh it off, or perhaps become enraged that someone was attempting to interfere with their relationship. But her silence revealed more than words ever could. 

"Zeph, look at me." His voice cracked slightly, but he kept his composure. "Tell me the truth. Is it true?"

She drew a deep, trembling breath before meeting his gaze. Her eyes were filled with pain, a mix of remorse and regret that was nearly as difficult to see as if she had simply been angry.

"Jalen... I'm so sorry." Her voice was barely a whisper, but it hit him like a sledgehammer.

He closed his eyes, his mind going blank for a moment. When he opened them, she was still there, looking at him with that same guilty expression, and he could barely keep himself from lashing out. "So... it's true, then. How long has this been going on?"

She looked down, her fingers twisting nervously. "It wasn't supposed to happen, Jay. I was just lonely. And things got complicated. But... it's been a couple of months."

The words stung like salt in the wound. All those times he'd thought about her, missed her, pushed himself harder on the court to make her proud—it all seemed like a joke now.

"A couple of months?" He shook his head, his voice thick with disappointment. "Zephyra, why didn't you just tell me? Why let me think everything was fine?"

She looked up, tears brimming in her eyes. "I wanted to. I came to see you, remember? That day... that day I surprised you at your dorm. I came to tell you the truth, to break it off. But then I saw you, and I couldn't do it. I was too scared, Jay. I thought maybe I could just... let it end without you ever finding out."

Her words washed over him, each one sinking deeper, twisting the knife. "So you just... kept lying? Let me think we were fine, let me go out there with you on my mind every game, thinking we had something real?"

"I know I messed up, okay?" she said, her voice growing louder, frustrated. "I know I hurt you, but you don't know what it's like being alone, waiting and wondering if you'd even have time for me with your schedule."

"Oh, so this is my fault?" His voice was cold, harder than he meant it to be. "I'm out there working, trying to make a future for us, and you're here blaming me because you got bored?"

Her shoulders slumped, her face crumbling. "I'm not blaming you, Jalen. I know this is on me. I just... I didn't know how to deal with it, and I messed up."

He took a deep breath, fighting the urge to yell, to say something he couldn't take back. "Yeah, you did."

The silence stretched between them, heavy with all the things he wanted to say but couldn't bring himself to. Finally, he shook his head, looking away. "I need you to go, Zeph. Just... go. I need time to figure this out. Don't call, don't text. I can't... I can't deal with this right now."

She nodded, wiping a tear from her cheek. "I understand. And I'm sorry, Jay. I really am."

She turned and went away, and Jalen watched her go, feeling a piece of himself break with each step. He remained on the bench, the world around him continuing as if nothing had happened, but for him, everything had changed. For the first time, he felt completely alone. He wasn't sure how he was going to pick up the pieces.