chapter 4-A shift in the shadow

Chapter 4, from Liliana’s POV [ subtle change in Ethan and Reign’s behavior toward her.]

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The first hint of something shifting in Ethan came when he stopped smiling at me like he used to.

I didn’t notice it at first. At first, everything seemed normal—Ethan still came by every day, always with a gentle kiss on my forehead and a soft, reassuring voice that told me I was loved. Reign would sit beside me for hours, chatting about everything and nothing, making me laugh with the simplest of things. I could always count on them, the way I always had.

But then… it wasn’t the same.

Ethan’s touch wasn’t as gentle. His eyes, when they met mine, seemed to linger less, as if he was looking right past me, and I could feel a coldness I hadn’t felt before.

I thought it was just me—maybe my mind was playing tricks, or maybe it was the weight of being stuck in this chair, feeling useless every day. But then Reign’s laughter didn’t come as easily either. Her visits were fewer, and when she did come, she always seemed distracted. She would stare at her phone, checking messages, her brow furrowed, her eyes distant.

And when I needed help, it seemed like Ethan was always busy, always occupied with something else.

It hurt, deep in my chest, but I didn’t know why.

One night, after Ethan had left, I tried to ask Reign about it. Her eyes flickered briefly, and then she smiled, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. "You’re imagining things, Liliana," she said. "Everything’s fine, really. You know Ethan—he’s just been stressed lately. You know how he gets."

But I didn’t feel it, not anymore. Something was wrong. I could feel it in my bones. The way Ethan looked at me, how Reign seemed so far away—my best friend, my boyfriend, the two people I loved most in the world—they were slipping through my fingers.

And I couldn’t do anything to stop it.

But I kept pretending, hoping that one day, things would go back to how they used to be.how thing's were supposed to be But deep down, I knew that hope was slipping away.

The final moment came when Ethan snapped at me, his voice sharp and unkind for the first time. "Stop it, Liliana. You’re making this harder than it needs to be," he had said, storming out of the room.

I felt the sting of his words, but worse was the emptiness that followed them. How had we gotten here? How had everything become so cold, so distant?

I didn’t know. But I could feel the shift—the slow, painful drift between us.

And there was nothing I could do to stop it.

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