Heart Strings|GirlxGirl

The Fallout

Axel paced the length of her apartment like a storm confined in human form. Her fists clenched and unclenched, her chest rising and falling with each shallow breath. The screenshots Lucas had sent burned in her mind—a cruel mockery of the trust she had in Freya. The images were clear, the messages explicit, and while her heart screamed that Freya would never betray her, her mind wrestled with doubt.

“She wouldn’t do this,” Axel muttered to herself, running a hand through her short hair. But the words felt hollow, drowned out by the venom Lucas had planted. “She couldn’t... could she?”

The sound of keys jingling outside the door snapped Axel out of her spiraling thoughts. Freya entered, her radiant smile faltering the moment she saw Axel’s tense posture and the fire in her eyes.

“Hey, babe,” Freya greeted cautiously, setting her bag down. “What’s wrong?”

Axel didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she grabbed her phone from the table and thrust it toward Freya, her voice low and trembling with anger. “What the hell is this?”

Freya frowned, taking the phone. Her eyes scanned the fabricated messages and photos, her expression shifting from confusion to shock to anger. “Where did you get this?”

“Don’t play dumb, Freya!” Axel exploded, her voice echoing in the small apartment. “Where did I get it? From Lucas, of all people! Your ex! The one you conveniently forgot to mention had such an active interest in your life!”

Freya’s eyes narrowed, her grip on the phone tightening. “You’re listening to Lucas? The man who’s been trying to ruin my life since we broke up?”

“Don’t turn this around on me!” Axel snapped, pointing a finger at her. “Explain the texts! Explain the photos! You think I’m stupid enough to just brush this off?”

Freya slammed the phone onto the table, the force rattling the nearby vase. “Are you stupid enough to believe him over me?” she shot back, her voice rising to match Axel’s.

The room was a battleground, their words cutting through the air like knives.

“You’ve been distant, Freya,” Axel accused, pacing like a lion ready to pounce. “The late nights, the vague excuses—how am I supposed to believe you when all of this,” she gestured wildly at the phone, “lines up perfectly with what I’ve been feeling?”

“Because you’re supposed to trust me!” Freya shouted, stepping closer. “I’ve given you no reason to doubt me, Axel! None! But the second he swoops in with his lies, you’re ready to throw us away?”

Axel turned sharply, her face inches from Freya’s. “Throw us away? You think this is easy for me? You think I want to doubt you? Do you have any idea what it feels like to look at you and not know what’s real anymore?”

Freya’s voice broke, tears pooling in her eyes but not falling. “I would never hurt you, Axel. Never. And the fact that you think I would? That kills me more than anything Lucas could ever do.”

Axel’s anger faltered for a moment, her shoulders sagging under the weight of her own turmoil. But the doubt remained, festering like a wound. “If that’s true, then why didn’t you tell me about him? Why didn’t you tell me how close he was to you, how much he still cares?”

Freya scoffed, bitter and broken. “Because he doesn’t matter! He’s a relic of my past, Axel! You’re my present, my future. I didn’t think he deserved a place in our relationship.”

“Well, congratulations,” Axel spat. “He’s in it now. He’s right here, between us.”

Freya threw her hands up, exasperated. “You’re letting him win! This is what he wants, Axel! He’s manipulating you, and you’re falling for it!”

The room fell silent for a moment, the only sound their ragged breathing. Axel looked away, her jaw tightening as she fought back tears. “I can’t do this right now, Freya. I need time. I need space to think.”

Freya froze, the finality in Axel’s words cutting through her like a blade. “You’re giving up,” she said softly, her voice trembling. “You’re giving up on us because of him.”

“I’m not giving up,” Axel replied, her tone cold and detached. “I just need to figure things out.”

Freya shook her head, backing toward the door. “Fine. Take your time, Axel. But don’t expect me to sit here and let you doubt me without a fight.”

She grabbed her bag and stormed out, slamming the door behind her. The sound reverberated through the apartment, leaving Axel alone in the deafening silence.

Axel collapsed onto the couch, burying her face in her hands. The anger, the doubt, the pain—they all swirled inside her, threatening to consume her. She didn’t want to believe Lucas, but the seeds of doubt had taken root, and she couldn’t see past them.

Across town, Freya walked the darkened streets, her mind racing. She wasn’t going to let Lucas win. She wasn’t going to let him destroy the best thing that had ever happened to her.

And Lucas, sitting in his dimly lit apartment, smirked as he scrolled through his phone. His plan was unfolding perfectly, and he was savoring every moment of it.

But Freya wasn’t done. Not by a long shot.