Shawn dressed up quickly, his movements rushed, almost awkward. Aria stood by the door, now ready to leave, slipping on her footwear, her heart still not fully settled.

“I’ll leave now,” she said softly. “Victoria’s still asleep…let her know later.”

She stepped back into the bedroom once more, gently patting Victoria’s shoulder before leaving. As she crossed the hallway, a strange realization hit her.

I fell asleep in the living room.

She stopped.

Turning around, she looked at Shawn. He was rubbing the back of his neck, avoiding eye contact, clearly uncomfortable. When he spoke, there was a hesitation in his voice ..... soft, almost dangerously endearing.

“I… uh… I tucked you in,” he said. “Victoria sis kept asking me to.”

Aria hadn’t expected that.

“Oh,” she replied, momentarily stunned. “Thank you… really.”

And before the moment could stretch any further...before she could overthink the warmth curling in her chest...she hurried out.

Even as she walked away, she couldn’t shake the feeling. It was strange. Awkward. Comforting. Something she didn’t yet have words for.

Outside, she unlocked her phone.

Peter had texted.

Good morning ❤️

As normal as ever. Predictable. Polished.

Aria stared at the screen longer than necessary.

Does he never feel how heavy things are for me?

Or does he simply not want to see it?

At home, her mother asked casually about the night-out. Aria brushed it off with a vague answer and headed straight for a bath. She needed time. For herself.

She took longer than usual. A full skincare routine. Hair care. Slow movements. Careful breathing.

For a moment, it felt like something inside her was returning. A faint spark. A softness she thought she had lost.

But it didn’t last.

Peter wanted to meet.

Every part of her resisted, but she agreed anyway.

---

They went to one of the trendiest cafés in the city. Peter had changed since he started working...spending more freely, ordering without hesitation, paying just like a true gentleman.

From the outside, it looked like love. Effort. Care.

But Aria felt none of it.

His gestures didn’t reach her in a way, technically that should have been.. They felt heavy instead...like expectations disguised as affection.

She zoned out, lost in her thoughts, until Peter shook her lightly.

“Aria? Where did you go?”

She smiled, nodded, pretended.

They did all the things any normal couple would do...clicked pictures, held hands, sat close. But all she wanted was to go home.

But, 

Peter asked her to come with him somewhere else.

His house.

She resisted at first. It wasn’t planned. She wasn’t prepared. But he insisted, saying his mother wanted to meet her.

She didn’t want to seem rude. So she agreed.

---

At his place, His mom wasn't home yet, so Peter decided to give a call to his mother.

“Cutie,” he said.

The same nickname he used for Aria.

It wasn’t wrong. But something about it unsettled her.

He had often told her she reminded him of his mother...her selflessness, her patience, how forgiving and empathetic she is.. Even his future plans somehow always circled back to his mother's unfulfilled needs and wishes.

Aria couldn’t quite name the discomfort, but it sat deep in her chest.

When she asked about his mother, Peter shrugged.

“She’s late. Guess it’ll just be us.”

He smiled. “We can spend some time together. I downloaded movies from your wishlist.”

Aria felt her shoulders tense.

They had watched movies like this before. And those moments often blurred into intimacy she wasn’t fully comfortable with.

Peter never forced her...but he pushed. Crossed lines she had clearly drawn. Walls she had carefully built.

And every time, she felt powerless.

Confused.

Empty.

She didn’t understand why something that was supposed to feel loving left her so drained.

Lately, she had started craving something else....something she couldn’t define.

And now, disturbingly, a name surfaced in her mind.

Shawn.

---

“Do you love me?” Peter asked suddenly.

“Yes,” Aria replied almost instantly....too quickly.

Before she could say anything else, he pulled her closer, kissed her, pressed forward. She tried to stop him, gently at first, then firmly.

He didn’t listen.

She finally managed to pull away without hurting him....still protecting his feelings, even as her own were ignored.

That realization exhausted her more than anything else.

She left his house soon after.

---

Outside, the weight finally crashed down on her.

She called Victoria. No answer.

Again.

Still nothing.

Her chest tightened. She tried once more.

This time, Shawn picked up.

“Victoria’s in the bath,” he said. “Is everything okay?”

Aria swallowed hard. Her voice trembled.

“Just… tell her to call me back.”

“Are you okay?” Shawn asked softly.

“Yes,” she said, barely convincing herself.

She hung up.

And stood there, alone, unsure of what hurt more....what had happened, or what she was slowly beginning to feel.