Chapter 9 - Fight and Fear

Aria's POV

That day, the girl mentioned Ray's past, and today, Belli. Is something fishy? What's wrong? I always saw Ray as a gentleman—polite, composed, and respectful. Never thought of him having any skeletons in the closet. That’s strange.

But if it were important, he’d have told me, right? Would he?

Ugh, my trust issues are spiraling again. It's ridiculous how they always show up uninvited, creeping into every thought and shadowing every emotion.

I didn’t even realize I had reached home, so lost I was in my whirlwind of thoughts. My feet had carried me while my mind tangled itself into a storm of doubt.

I went through the motions—putting away my things, eating something I don’t even recall tasting, and finally retreating to my room.

For the past few days, I hadn’t written a single poem. My notebooks sat untouched, abandoned like forgotten relics. But tonight, I needed an escape—something, anything—to break free from this chaos. The looming stress of getting the project permission and now the enigma of Ray’s past were suffocating.

Sitting at my desk, I let my pen speak:

“The people I regard as mine,

Are the people who break me till the worst.”

The words poured out like a wound bleeding ink, raw and unfiltered.

Then, as if to break the moment, a message popped up on my phone. Ivy. She was asking what happened today.

Studies-related stuff only, I typed back. There was no way I’d drag Belli into this conversation. She didn’t matter enough to deserve space in Ivy's and my world.

No, Belli could wait. Everything could wait.

Right now, I needed to focus on how to get permission for the project.

With these thoughts still swirling in my head, I didn’t even realize when sleep claimed me.

Ray's POV

Belli almost did a blunder today, dragging our shared past to the surface. It’s a part of my life I’ve buried deep, hoping no one would ever unearth it. I wish I could erase it entirely. But wishes don’t change reality, do they?

What happened to Belli, though? She used to be kind, understanding. Now she’s...different. It’s unsettling. Why was she behaving like this?

No matter what, I have to keep an eye on her. And on Aria. If things spiral out of control, I need to protect her. That’s what friends do, right?

Suddenly, a sound broke through my thoughts. Loud voices again.

Here we go. Another fight.

The same fight between the same people. The yelling, the accusations—it’s a soundtrack I know all too well. But where’s Jay?

I searched his room, but he wasn’t there. My fingers hovered over my phone before dialing him.

“Where are you?” I asked when he picked up.

“In the market, taking some printouts,” came his casual reply.

“Oh, when will you be back?”

“Maybe an hour or so.”

“Okay,” I said, masking my relief.

“Something important?”

“No, no. Just didn’t see you around.”

“You should’ve asked Mom,” he added, unaware of the chaos downstairs.

“Okay, never mind. Bye.”

I hung up, feeling slightly lighter. At least he wasn’t here to witness this. I’ve always tried to shield Jay from these fights, making him believe they’re just the occasional arguments couples have. But I know better.

Downstairs, the shouting escalated, each word sharper than the last. My body reacted before my mind could—my breath quickened, my hands trembled, and a cold wave of fear washed over me. I curled up under my study table, wrapping my arms around my knees.

You know what’s worse than the fights? The way they drag you back into old wounds. Childhood traumas—they never really go away.

I stayed like that, shaking uncontrollably. Minutes? Hours? I didn’t know. The fight ended, but its echoes remained, rattling inside me.

Jay found me like that. He shook me gently, pulling me back to the present.

“What’s wrong?” his face silently asked.

But I couldn’t let him see. “What? Go do your work,” I snapped, irritated.

He nodded, obedient as ever, and left.

Even then, my body refused to calm. My breath came in shallow gasps. I felt trapped, suffocated. It took me 30 minutes to regain some semblance of control.

This happens weekly. Different reasons, same hell.

I needed to escape. Grabbing my keys, I left the house and rode to my favorite corner of the city—a quiet, forgotten fort at the edge of town.

Climbing to the roof’s boundary, I sat there, letting the cold stone ground me. The sunset painted the horizon in fiery hues, soothing my frayed nerves. The peace this place holds is what I wish for in life. No fights, no voices. Just silence and the sky.

My phone buzzed. I thought it might be Elio checking in, but no.

It was Belli.

Can you please share whatever happened in the past month in college?

Great. Even here, she wouldn’t leave me alone.

Yep, as soon as I reach home, I replied.

Where are you now?

Out.

Where? The same fort, huh?

Yep.

I’m near. Should I come if you want?

No. I’m already heading home.

Okay. Take care.