The morning sun stretched through the curtains across Maya's bedroom floor. It was the kind of warmth that usually inspired hope. But not today. Today, Maya stood in front of her mirror, her eyes puffy, lips pressed together as though holding back everything that might otherwise spill free.
Sienna leaned against the doorframe, her arms crossed in silent posture, a gentle storm of thoughts running through her expressive eyes. She hadn't said much after Maya's late-night confession—just held her, let her cry, and then declared she needed chocolate and a rerun of Friends to process the bombshell.
Now, she watched Maya pull on a simple navy-blue sweater, something sturdy, something safe. Her hair was tied back in a no-nonsense bun, and despite the exhaustion evident on her face, there was still pain behind her gaze.
"You sure you're ready for this?" Sienna asked, not unkindly. Her voice was lower than usual, grounded in concern.
"No," Maya admitted, her lips twitching into a weary half-smile. "But I've got no choice. Finals don't wait for heartbreak."
Sienna stepped into the room, slipping her arm through Maya's as they left the apartment together. It was the first time in ages they'd coordinated their schedules to walk to campus, but it felt like something necessary now. An anchor. A gesture of solidarity.
As they stepped into the chill morning air, silence passed between them.
"I can't believe Damian," Sienna finally muttered, with narrowed eyes "All that time I thought he was working up to ask you out, meanwhile he was out here playing Grand Theft Boyfriend."
Maya let out a breathy, tired laugh. "Uno reverse card, played and delivered."
"I mean, don't get me wrong, I support the alphabet mafia and all, but that was a plot twist even I didn't see coming."
Maya bumped her shoulder into Sienna's gently, grateful for the attempt at levity.
"I just feel so… stupid," Maya admitted, voice smaller now and worn thin. "Like I missed all the signs."
"Hey." Sienna stopped her just short of the campus gates, turning her to face her with a firm grip on her arms. "You weren't stupid. You fell. That's human. You trusted, you loved, and yeah—you got blindsided. But that doesn't make you weak. It makes you brave."
Maya blinked rapidly against the sting in her eyes. She hated crying in public, especially at school. But Sienna's words cracked something inside her—something aching to be acknowledged.
"I don't even know how I'll face Logan now," Maya murmured.
"You don't have to," Sienna said. "Today, you walk in there with your head high, your notes ready, and your sass locked and loaded. Logan Hayes doesn't define your worth, Maya. You do."
Maya inhaled deeply, then she nodded, and together they stepped onto Bellwood's campus. But Maya was different now. A little bruised, maybe even fractured. But rebuilding. One step at a time.
And Sienna, always her fiercest ally, was right there beside her.
But as Maya and Sienna stepped past the main gates, something felt… off.
Students whispered in huddled corners. Some glanced their way with wide eyes that quickly flicked elsewhere. A few bold ones didn't even bother pretending not to look. The stares weren't of judgment; they were heavy with curiosity. Pity and Speculation.
Maya felt the prickling of awareness crawl along her neck like frost.
"What the hell is going on?" Sienna murmured under her breath, her hand finding Maya's in a tight squeeze. "Why are people looking at us like we're trending on campus gossip boards?"
Maya forced a steadying breath, holding her head high as they crossed the courtyard. But every step made her pulse hitch. The whispers weren't just coincidence. They had a center and a reason.
It wasn't until they reached the coffee cart outside the lit building that they heard it.
Two girls standing nearby, sipping lattes, murmuring with concern.
"…I heard he just disappeared after the whole thing with that girl…"
"…yeah, Logan Hayes. No one's seen him since yesterday."
Maya stopped walking. Her spine straightened so sharply it was like a jolt of electricity surged through her.
"What?" The word left her lips before she could think.
Sienna turned slowly toward her. "Maya…"
But Maya had already stepped forward. "Excuse me," she said to the girls with a calm voice. "What did you just say about Logan?"
The girls blinked in recognition. One of them flushed. The other, braver or perhaps less considerate, spoke.
"Just… that Logan hasn't shown up today. He missed his lecture this morning. People say he was seen leaving the town last night and hasn't been back."
The world didn't spin, but Maya's stomach did.
He's gone?
No.
No, no.
Her throat closed as images began clawing their way into her mind—Logan alone, Logan hurting, Logan walking somewhere far away and never returning. Her legs weakened beneath her and Sienna immediately slid an arm around her waist.
"You're not doing this," Sienna said fiercely. "Don't spiral. Breathe."
Maya felt like her bones had hollowed out.
"What if—what if I pushed him too far?" she whispered. "What if—after the fight—after the kiss with Damian—I didn't give him a chance to explain and now he's—he's—"
"Stop," Sienna said sharply. "You listen to me. This isn't your fault. You are not responsible for anyone else's choices, Maya. You did what you had to do to protect your heart."
Maya's eyes were filled with contempt.
"But I never wanted to hurt him," she confessed, her chest heaving. "I was just angry, confused. I didn't want him to disappear."
A silence fell between them. The kind of silence that threatens to swallow you whole if you don't anchor yourself to something real.
Sienna, bless her heart, held Maya's hand tighter and said, "He's not gone. Maybe he needed space. Maybe he's hiding out in some man-cave with a punching bag and whiskey and emo music on loop. But don't you dare jump to the worst conclusion. He's stronger than that. You know he is."
Maya shut her eyes. Her mind still ran in frantic loops, but somewhere in that storm, a thread of reason pulled her back.
She exhaled.
Deeply and Slowly.
Logan was stubborn. Impulsive, even. But he wasn't weak. He wasn't someone who'd just vanish off the map to disappear forever.
"I need to find him," she said quietly, opening her eyes.
Sienna didn't protest. "Okay. But first—class. You promised yourself, remember? That no matter what, you'd fight for your future."
Maya nodded, despite the ache growing in her chest. "Yeah," she said softly. "Class first. Then I'll find him."
She reached for the resolve tucked deep in her ribcage—the part of her that had survived heartbreak before, the one that knew pain wasn't the end. She'd claw her way through this like everything else. And if Logan needed her, she'd be there.
But she wouldn't lose herself trying to hold onto someone who couldn't meet her where she stood.