AEAO

twenty-five

The sun was setting, casting a soft glow over the city of Los Angeles. The cool evening air drifted through the open window of Shi's apartment, but inside, the atmosphere was tense. The hum of the city felt far away, drowned out by the argument that had taken root between Shi and Luca.

It had started out as a small misunderstanding—something that could've easily been brushed off. But in the heat of the moment, words had been exchanged, frustrations had boiled over, and now, they were standing across from each other in an almost painful silence.

Shi couldn't remember exactly when it had escalated, but she knew that the tension had been building for weeks. Their relationship had been going so well, everything falling into place like a carefully curated puzzle, but there were cracks starting to show beneath the surface. She had been busy with her new internship, juggling school, and the weight of her family obligations was ever-present. Luca, meanwhile, was pushing himself harder than ever in his tennis career, and as much as they both tried to keep everything balanced, it was starting to feel like the scales were tipping.

"I just don't understand why you didn't tell me about it," Shi's voice was sharp, her arms crossed tightly in front of her chest.

"I didn't think it was a big deal," Luca replied, his voice a little strained, his frustration matching hers. He ran a hand through his hair, his brow furrowed. "It's just a work thing, Shi. It wasn't something I thought I needed to discuss with you."

"But you should have told me. I hate feeling like I'm the last to know," she retorted, her words clipped. "Why is it that you can't talk to me about things that matter?"

Luca sighed, his eyes searching her face, trying to find the words. He had never been great at communicating about his personal life, and he knew this was a blind spot in their relationship. But the truth was, he hadn't told her about a recent opportunity to travel for a big tennis event because he didn't want to upset her. He didn't want to seem like he was choosing tennis over her.

"Shi, I'm not trying to keep things from you," Luca said, his voice softening slightly. "I just didn't think it would be an issue. You've been so busy with everything going on. I didn't want to add more stress."

Shi felt the sting of his words, but she didn't let it show. She wasn't just upset about the tennis tournament—she was frustrated by the growing distance between them, the lack of communication, and the feeling that Luca didn't always understand the pressure she was under. It wasn't just about that one thing; it was about how they were slowly losing the closeness they had shared before.

"You think I'm too busy to care about your life?" Shi's voice wavered, but she forced herself to keep it steady. "I don't want to feel like I'm just here to fit into the corners of your schedule. I want to be a part of your life, Luca. Don't you want that too?"

Luca's face softened, but there was a hint of defensiveness in his expression. He had always tried to protect her from the craziness of his career, but now, it felt like everything he did to shield her was pushing her further away.

"I'm trying," Luca said quietly. "But it feels like no matter what I do, you're not happy. And that's the last thing I want. I care about you, Shi. I always have."

Silence stretched between them, both of them trying to navigate the sea of emotions that had suddenly flooded the room. Neither of them knew what to say next. They were both hurt, but neither wanted to admit that they were scared of where this might go.

"I don't know what I want anymore, Luca," Shi said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know if I can keep going like this. I don't want to keep feeling like we're just... drifting."

Luca's heart clenched at her words. He hated seeing her like this, hated knowing that he was the cause of her pain. He didn't want to lose her, but he also didn't know how to fix this. He stepped toward her, slowly closing the gap, but before he could reach her, she took a step back.

"Shi—" he began, but she cut him off.

"Luca, we need space," she said, her voice shaking now. "We need to figure out what's really going on here. We need to stop pretending everything is fine when it's not."

Luca stood frozen, the weight of her words hanging heavy in the air. He wanted to argue, to convince her that everything would be okay, but he knew she was right. They needed time to think. Time to heal.

"I... I'll give you space," Luca finally said, his voice thick with emotion. "But please know that I'm not giving up on us, Shi. I'm not."

With that, Shi turned and walked away, leaving Luca standing alone in the middle of the apartment, the silence more suffocating than ever.

Days passed, and the silence between them was deafening. Shi stayed at her apartment while Luca retreated into his training and tournaments, trying to focus on anything but the growing distance between them. It was the first time they'd been apart for this long, and both of them were struggling with the unfamiliarity of it all.

Shi spent hours reflecting on the fight—on her own feelings of frustration and fear. She realized that what had really bothered her wasn't the tournament or the lack of communication, but the fear that she was losing something precious. Losing Luca. Losing the connection they had. She was scared of how much she had come to rely on him.

Meanwhile, Luca had been replaying their conversation in his head over and over. He hadn't meant to hurt her. He just wanted to protect her from the stress of his world. But in doing so, he had shut her out instead. He missed her, missed the way they used to talk about everything, the way she'd always been there to support him. And now, he realized how much he had taken her for granted.

It was late in the evening when Shi received a message from Luca. Simple. Direct.

Can we talk?

Her heart raced as she read it, and she found herself holding her breath. After everything, was she ready to face him? Could they work through this? Was it even possible to fix what had been broken?

She took a deep breath and typed back: Yes, we can talk.

They agreed to meet at a small park near her apartment—neutral ground, where they could both take a breath before diving into the difficult conversation ahead.

When Shi arrived, she found Luca already waiting on a bench, his head down. When he looked up and saw her, his face softened with a mix of relief and regret.

"Shi," he started, his voice almost a whisper. "I'm sorry. I never wanted to make you feel like I didn't care about you. I've been so caught up in trying to protect you from my world that I forgot to let you in. You're not just my girlfriend—you're my partner. And I need to start acting like it."

Shi looked at him, the weight of the past few days hanging heavy in the air. She could see the sincerity in his eyes, the vulnerability in the way he stood before her.

"I'm sorry too," she replied quietly. "I've been so afraid of losing you that I didn't know how to express what I was feeling. I was scared. But I want to fix this, Luca. I really do."

Luca stepped closer, his hand reaching out for hers. "Then let's fix it together," he said softly. "No more walls between us. No more holding back."

Shi nodded, her heart swelling with a mixture of relief and hope. They still had a lot to figure out, but this felt like the first step toward healing, toward rebuilding their trust and their connection.

As they stood there, hand in hand, Shi realized that relationships weren't perfect. They weren't always smooth sailing. But if they were willing to fight for each other, to be open and honest, they could weather any storm together. And that thought filled her with a sense of peace she hadn't known in days.

This was just one fight—but it didn't have to be the end of their story.