Chapter 2: Shadows of the Past

The door to the storeroom shut behind Ava with a dull thud, sealing her inside with the one person she had spent months avoiding. The air in the small room felt heavier now, thick with tension that neither of them wanted to address. Ava busied herself with a box of brushes, willing herself not to look at him. She could feel his presence— a silent force in the cramped space, making it impossible to ignore the memories that clawed their way back into her mind. Noah was quiet. Too quiet. The kind of silence that made her uneasy. “Just sort the brushes and get out of here,” she muttered under her breath. Noah, who had been stacking paint cans on a nearby shelf, let out a soft scoff. “You think I want to be here?” Ava bristled, turning to glare at him. “Then why did you agree?” He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he placed the last can carefully before finally meeting her gaze. “It’s an art storeroom, Ava. Not a battlefield.” Her fingers curled around the wooden handle of a brush, a futile attempt to keep her frustration in check. “Right. Because you’d rather pretend nothing ever happened between us.” His jaw tightened slightly, but his expression remained neutral. “And what exactly do you want me to say?” Ava let out a bitter laugh. “Nothing. Just like before. You were always good at that.” For a moment, she thought she saw something flicker in his eyes—guilt, regret, something real. But just as quickly, it was gone, buried beneath that maddeningly calm exterior. Noah sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Look, let’s just get this done, okay?” Fine. If he wanted to pretend this was nothing, she would too. They worked in silence, the only sounds the occasional rustle of paper and the clinking of supplies being placed on shelves. But the quiet wasn’t peaceful—it was suffocating, filled with everything they weren’t saying. Ava’s mind drifted to the past, to the days when silence between them had been comfortable. When they could sit side by side without words and still understand each other. Now, every second felt like a battle she was losing. She turned away, reaching for another box when a sudden, sharp pang hit her chest. Not now. Not here. Her breathing hitched, and she pressed her fingers to her temples, squeezing her eyes shut. But the memory slammed into her like a tidal wave anyway. Her mother’s frail body in that hospital bed. The sterile smell of disinfectant. The beeping machines that couldn’t keep her alive. And Noah walking away. Ava gasped softly, shaking her head as if that could dislodge the memory. But the panic was already rising, clawing at her ribs. Noah noticed. “Ava?” His voice was softer now, hesitant. She didn’t want his concern. She didn’t want anything from him. “I’m fine,” she snapped, shoving a box aside more forcefully than necessary. He didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t push. Instead, he turned back to his task, jaw tight. Minutes passed, dragging on painfully. Just when Ava thought she could make it out of there without another confrontation, Noah spoke again. “I didn’t leave to hurt you.” Her hands froze mid-sort. Her heart pounded. She turned to face him slowly. “Then why did you?” He exhaled, his shoulders tensing. “Because I thought you needed space.” Ava let out a hollow laugh. “Space? My mother had just died, and you thought leaving me alone was the best choice?” His expression darkened. “I didn’t want you to depend on me so much that you couldn’t stand on your own.” Her anger flared. “That wasn’t your choice to make.” Silence stretched between them, heavy and unyielding. Noah’s gaze dropped for a moment before he spoke again, his voice quieter. “Maybe it wasn’t. But I thought I was doing the right thing.” Ava stared at him, searching for any sign that his words were just another excuse. But for the first time in a long time, she saw something real in his eyes. Regret. Guilt. A truth he had buried as deep as she had buried her pain. It didn’t change anything. She grabbed the last brush from the box and turned away. “We’re done here.” Noah didn’t argue. He simply nodded, his expression unreadable once more. Ava walked out of the storeroom without looking back. Because looking back hurt too much.

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