I didn't choose her, my heart did

The secret

Keira's POV:
As Lucy sat next to me on the sofa and gently leaned against my shoulder, it felt like everything was finally falling into place. Her presence was a safe haven, a refuge. Yet there was an underlying feeling I couldn't place, as if something was brewing on the surface that could explode at any moment.

The film we were watching was just background noise. My focus was entirely on Lucy: how she lightly moistened her lips as she thought, how her fingers unconsciously stroked the edge of the blanket. She seemed relaxed, but I knew her too well not to notice that something was gnawing at her.

'Lucy,' I said softly, trying to read her face. She looked up, surprised by my tone. 'Is there something you want to tell me?'

She laughed nervously, as if I had caught her in a lie. 'What do you mean, Kei? Everything is fine, right?'

'You do say that,' I said, taking her hand, 'but you are different lately. You're acting distant. If there's something, I want you to tell me.'

She shook her head, averting her eyes. 'You're worried about nothing. It's just... hectic in my head, that's all.'

I wanted to believe her, but the way she said it felt empty, like she was hiding a truth that was too heavy to speak out. I decided to let it rest, though it felt like the words were stuck between us, unspoken and uncomfortable.

_

The next day, I decided to walk Narla while Lucy did some chores around the house. It was chilly outside, a breeze played through my hair as I held our dog's leash. My thoughts, however, remained with Lucy. Why did she suddenly seem so closed off?

When I got home, I heard her talking on the phone. Her voice was low, almost whispering, and it felt like she didn't want me to hear her. I stopped in the corridor, not sure why I didn't go straight in.

'No,' Lucy said clearly. 'I can't do that. It's not fair to her.'

My heart began to beat faster. Who was she talking about? And what did she mean by 'not fair'?

I stepped into the room, and Lucy looked up, her face turning into a mask of calm. 'Hey Kei,' she said with a forced smile, putting her phone away.'Who were you talking to?' I asked nonchalantly, though my voice was shaking.

'Just a friend,' she replied too quickly. 'Nothing important.'I felt a stab in my chest. She was lying, I was sure. Lucy was never that secretive, and the thought that she was hiding something from me made me nauseous. But I didn't want to provoke a confrontation right away. Not now.

_

That night I went to bed earlier, the tension of the day weighing heavily on my chest. Lucy stayed downstairs, saying she had some cleaning up to do. But when I woke up around midnight, I heard her voice again. She was talking, whispering, and this time it sounded like she was in the living room.

I got up, my heart pounding in my chest. Slowly I walked towards the stairs, my bare feet barely making a sound on the wooden surface. As I got closer, I heard her more clearly.

'I know, but I can't do this to her,' she said with a mix of frustration and sadness in her voice. 'She deserves the truth, but... not now.'

My breath stopped. What was she talking about? And why did it sound like she was hiding something from me?

_

The next morning, Lucy was different. She was happier than usual, as if overcompensating for the tense atmosphere of the past few days. She made breakfast, gave me a kiss on my forehead and behaved as if everything was perfect. But I could not forget what I had heard.

'Lucy,' I said over breakfast, trying to catch her gaze. 'I need to ask something.'

She looked up, her smile failing for a moment before she recovered her usual composure. 'What is it, Kei?'

I hesitated. Should I confront her? Should I tell her I heard her talking? But before I could say anything, her phone rang.

She looked at the screen, and her whole demeanour changed. Her shoulders tightened, her eyes darkened. 'I'll just take this one,' she said, getting up and walking out of the kitchen.

My patience broke. I got up and followed her into the hall, where she stood with her back to me, her voice low and hurried.

'I told you to stop calling me,' she whispered, her voice charged with anger.

I felt a wave of emotions rush through me: anger, fear, uncertainty. 'Lucy,' I said sharply, causing her to turn abruptly.

Her face was pale, and for a moment she didn't seem to know what to say. 'Keira, I-'

'Who is that?' I asked, my voice trembling with emotion. 'And why are you telling them to stop calling you?'

She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Finally, she lowered her shoulders, as if surrendering. 'It's... complicated.'

'Then try to explain it to me,' I said, my voice sounding louder than I meant it to. 'Because I don't know how much longer I can handle this, Lucy. Your secrecy, your distancing, it breaks me.'

She looked at me, her eyes filled with guilt. 'I didn't want to do this to you, Kei. But it seems I no longer have a choice.'

I frowned, my heart pounding in my chest. 'What are you talking about?'

She took a deep breath, as if preparing for a big reveal. 'The phone call... it was from someone from my past. Someone I thought I would never have to see again.'

'An ex?' I asked, my voice bitter.

She shook her head. 'No. Someone who... knows things about me. About my family. Things I wanted to keep secret.'

My heart stood still. 'What things?'

Before she could answer, her phone rang again. She looked at the screen, her face ashen. Without saying anything, she pushed the call away and put the phone in her pocket.

'Lucy,' I said, as my voice broke. 'What's going on?'

She looked at me, her eyes filled with tears. 'Keira, I want to protect you. But... I don't know if I can.'

And with those words, she walked away, leaving me in the hall, overwhelmed by questions that remained unanswered.

AN: What is Lucy hiding? Who is on the other end of the line? And how far will she go to protect Keira from the past that now seems to overtake her? The truth hangs over them like a dark shadow, ready to change everything.