Chapter 33: What I Saw
The Dream House
Book One
The hardest conversations...
Never begin with shouting.
They begin...
With silence that has finally become too heavy to carry.
Saturday morning.
Luna knocked once.
Then twice.
Then a third time.
"Maya..."
No answer.
She leaned her forehead against the door.
"I'm not leaving."
Still nothing.
She smiled to herself.
"You know I brought pastries."
Silence.
"...The chocolate croissants."
The door unlocked.
Slowly.
"You fight dirty."
"I know."
Luna walked in carrying a small bakery box.
"I also brought coffee."
"I hate you."
"No."
She smiled.
"You love me."
I couldn't help smiling.
Only for a second.
But she saw it.
Progress.
They sat on the floor instead of the couch.
Like they always had.
Coffee between them.
The room was quiet.
Not uncomfortable.
Just...
Honest.
Luna broke the silence first.
"I miss you."
I stared into my cup.
"I'm right here."
"No."
She shook her head gently.
"You've been somewhere else all week."
That hurt.
Because she was right.
"I don't know how to fix something..."
She continued softly.
"...when I don't know what's broken."
I closed my eyes.
Took a long breath.
Then another.
When I finally spoke...
My voice was barely above a whisper.
"I saw his message."
Luna frowned.
"...Whose?"
"Sinnad."
Confusion spread across her face.
"What message?"
"On your phone."
Silence.
I looked at her.
"You left it on the couch."
"You picked it up."
"I moved it."
"You read it?"
"It lit up."
She stayed quiet.
I continued.
"It said..."
My throat tightened.
"...'Ight... see you soon.'"
Luna blinked.
Then blinked again.
Suddenly...
She burst into laughter.
Real laughter.
She covered her mouth.
"I'm sorry."
She laughed again.
"I'm sorry."
I stared at her.
"What's funny?"
"Maya..."
She was still trying to stop laughing.
"...that's why?"
My chest tightened.
"You think it's funny?"
Her smile disappeared immediately.
"No."
She reached for my hand.
"I don't think you're funny."
"I think this is..."
She searched for the word.
"...terrible."
"Then explain."
"I can."
She nodded confidently.
"I called the barbershop."
I frowned.
"What?"
"My phone died last week."
"You know that."
"I needed Ruth to braid my hair."
"So I called the shop."
"Sinnad answered."
I stayed quiet.
"He said Ruth wasn't there yet."
Another pause.
"He told me he'd let her know."
I listened.
Every word.
"When Ruth arrived..."
Luna smiled.
"...she told Sinnad to text me because she finally had a new phone."
My heartbeat slowed.
Just a little.
"So..."
I whispered.
"...he wasn't coming to see you?"
"No."
"He was telling me Ruth was ready."
Silence.
Long silence.
Then...
Something hit me.
"Show me."
"What?"
"The messages."
She immediately reached for her phone.
Opened the conversation.
Stopped.
Scrolled.
Scrolled again.
Her smile faded.
"...No."
"What?"
"They're gone."
"What do you mean gone?"
"I deleted them."
My stomach dropped.
"When?"
"After Ruth booked my appointment."
"You deleted the conversation?"
"I always delete old texts."
I stared at her.
She stared back.
"I swear..."
She whispered.
"I'm telling the truth."
I wanted to believe her.
I really did.
But...
The only proof...
Was gone.
Across town...
Sinnad locked the barbershop for the evening.
Ruth looked over.
"You gonna text her again?"
He looked at his phone.
Then shook his head.
"No."
"Why?"
He slipped it into his pocket.
"Because I don't want someone to feel chased."
Ruth nodded slowly.
"So now what?"
He smiled.
"I wait."
Back at my apartment...
Luna stood at the door.
Before leaving...
She turned around.
"I know you."
I looked up.
"You trust slowly."
A pause.
"But when you finally trust someone..."
"...don't let one sentence destroy everything they spent weeks building."
The door closed softly behind her.
I remained sitting on the floor.
Alone.
My eyes drifted toward my phone.
Three unread messages.
One missed call.
Still.
I picked it up.
Unlocked it.
Opened the conversation with Sinnad.
My thumb hovered above the keyboard.
For the first time all week...
I wanted to answer.
But...
I still couldn't.