What do you do when your heart yearns for something your mind can't embrace? How do you tame the feelings that keep surfacing for someone special, knowing you're committed to another?
Ana Rose embarks on a new journey as a secret agent. Although she...
The clock on the wall ticks closer to five pm as I stir from a deep sleep, only to find my bed empty beside me. Ana must have risen earlier. I stretch and enjoy the warmth of my body finally settling into a comfortable temperature, a relief compared to the chill that clung to me last night.
As I go into the living room, I catch sight of Ana rushing toward me from the couch, her concern evident.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" she asks.
"Uhm, I'm good now. What about you?" I reply, still grappling with the remnants of sleep in my voice.
Her expression brightens as she pulls me into a tight embrace, pressing her lips against mine in a gentle kiss. I can feel the eyes of the others on us, their gazes filled with awe as they lounge on the couch.
Before I have a chance to process everything, Clara's voice cuts through the air,
"You two are together? You just... kissed!!"
"Yes, he's mine," Ana replies with a playful chuckle, her grin radiant as she glances at the others.
"Wow, I didn't see that coming!" Clara exclaims, a hint of disappointment in her voice. "I thought you were single, Xavier."
I bite my tongue, choosing silence over words, and instead, I head to the kitchen to brew a coffee, my mind racing. As I step outside into the yard, the cool air offers little relief. But within moments, I sense her presence—Lisa strides toward me.
"Hey..." she hesitates, the words trapped in her throat.
"Lisa, I really don't want to talk with you. Just... please leave me alone," I say, keeping my tone steady yet firm.
"I'm sorry, Xavier. I feel like I need to say this. I talked to the others, and they urged me to come to you... I'm really—"
"Lisa, just go away!!" I erupt, fury and sorrow bubbling to the surface.
She stands in front of me, tears streaming down her cheeks, her voice a shaky whisper, "Please forgive me. I really don't know what came over me. I'm deeply sorry!" I can hear a hint of honesty in her words, yet it fails to touch my heart.
"I doubt you truly regret anything," I reply, my voice steely. "In fact, I think you regret that I survived. You are nothing but cruel, Lisa. You heard my cries for help and chose to leave me in there!" The weight of my sadness and frustration linger in my trembling voice, betraying the emotions I try so hard to mask.
"I... I'm really so sorry," she stammers, her voice trembling with tears. "I was angry and—"
"Enough! I don't want to hear your lame excuses!" I shoot back, my voice laced with hurt and rage. My breaths quicken, each one a reminder of how raw the betrayal felt. "I wasn't your enemy, Lisa! We were supposed to be allies! You trapped me in there without giving me a chance to defend myself. If Ana hadn't shown up when she did, I'd be—" I can't finish the thought, the reality too painful to face. "And now, you think a simple apology makes everything okay? I don't want to work with you anymore, I want nothing to do with you, not now, not ever."
With those words hanging heavy in the air, I storm away, my coffee forgotten, leaving behind a whirlpool of emotions and shattered trust.
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