Chapter 4

Leo was late. Not just a few minutes, but almost an hour. I stood by the tour bus, my camera bag slung over my shoulder, listening to the excited chatter of the other students. The bus was nearly full. One empty seat remained, in the front row. My usual spot. The spot he always saved for me, a silent understanding we'd shared since I lost my sight.

But he wasn't there.

I tried to focus on the sounds of the campus, on anything but the gnawing anxiety in my stomach. He always prioritized me. He always made sure I had my space. He always sat next to me.

Then I heard him, finally, his laughter carrying on the morning air as he jogged towards the bus, Sophia clinging to his arm. She was laughing, her head thrown back. He whispered something to her, and she playfully punched his shoulder. They were the picture of carefree youth, oblivious to my silent vigil.

He stepped onto the bus, his eyes scanning the rows. He saw me. His gaze snagged on the empty seat beside me. For a split second, I saw a familiar flicker in his eyes – recognition, perhaps a hint of guilt. He started to move towards me. My heart gave a tiny, stupid lurch.

But then, Sophia tugged his arm. She whispered something, her nails digging playfully into his bicep. Her eyes, bright and calculating, met mine. A tiny, almost imperceptible smirk played on her lips. She didn't let go.

Leo hesitated. His eyes darted from me to Sophia, then back to me. His shoulders slumped almost imperceptibly. He took a breath, then turned, allowing Sophia to guide him toward the back of the bus, where two seats had just opened up. He sat down next to her, a casual gesture that shredded the last remnants of my hope.

He chose her. Again. Publicly. Unquestionably.

I stood frozen for a moment, then climbed onto the bus and took my seat, my face a blank mask. My phone vibrated. A text from him.

"Hey, sorry, Sophia wanted to sit in the back. Just easier with her friends there. You good?"

I didn't reply.

Another text, almost immediately. "Remember to be careful getting on and off the bus. Don't want you to trip."

He still thought he was my protector, my eyes. He still thought I needed him. He didn't realize I was already blind to his empty words. I simply blocked his number. The tiny satisfaction was fleeting, swallowed by the gaping hole in my chest. I put on my headphones, burying myself in the silent world of music. The bus journey passed in a blur of forced indifference.

When we arrived at the coastal town, the professor announced the first activity: sketching the cliffside views, requiring pairs. My stomach twisted. I hated these forced interactions. I preferred the quiet solitude of my own company.

Before I could even think of an excuse, Sophia was there, a syrupy smile on her face. "Clara! You and me, right? Besties!" She linked her arm through mine. Her touch was cold, possessive.

I flinched, pulling my arm away. Her smile didn't waver, but her eyes narrowed. "What's wrong, Clara? Don't want to be my partner?"

I shook my head, my jaw tight. I didn't trust her. Not after the exhibition. Not after Leo's betrayal.

"Oh, come on," she purred, sidling closer. "It'll be fun! We can bond. You and me. Girls' day out by the sea." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Besides, Leo is with Mark. You wouldn't want to ruin their bromance, would you?"

I just stood there, a stone in the stream. She moved even closer, her hand reaching for my arm again. This time, I recoiled sharply, stepping back a full pace.

Her smile vanished. Her eyes flashed with something ugly. "Fine," she hissed, her voice barely audible. "Be that way."

Then, with a dramatic gasp and a theatrical wobble, she stumbled backward on the narrow cliff path. Her foot caught on an invisible root, and she went down with an exaggerated cry, landing with a soft thud on the damp earth.

"Ow! My ankle!" she shrieked, clutching her leg.

Immediately, Leo was there. He rushed towards her, his face a mask of concern. "Sophia! Are you okay? What happened?"

Sophia, tears welling in her eyes, pointed a trembling finger at me. "Clara... she... she was so clumsy! I tried to grab her, but she pulled away and made me fall! I know your vision isn't stable, but I didn't think you'd be so careless!"

My blood ran cold. The lie hung in the air, thick and nauseating.

Leo knelt beside her, his hand gently touching her ankle. He didn't even look at me. His focus was entirely on Sophia.

"What?" I said, my voice shaking with shock and indignation. "I didn't... She stumbled!"

A chorus of gasps and murmurs erupted from the surrounding students. Their eyes, once indifferent, were now fixed on me, filled with accusation and disgust. Mark, Leo's friend, stepped forward, his face contorted in anger. "You seriously tripped her? What is wrong with you, Clara? She was just trying to help!"

"No! I didn't!" I insisted, my voice cracking, barely audible above their growing whispers.

"She's lying!" Sophia wailed, burying her face in Leo's shoulder. "She's always hated me! She's jealous!"

The whispers grew louder, morphing into outright condemnation. Crazy. The blind girl's gone psycho. Always so weird.

My vision blurred. My hands trembled. I was trapped, engulfed by their collective judgment.

Leo, cradling Sophia, finally looked up at me. His eyes, usually so kind, were now hard, cold, and utterly devoid of pity. "Clara," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Apologize to her. Now."

My head snapped back. Me? Apologize? For something I didn't do?

"No," I choked out, my voice barely a whisper. "I won't. I didn't do anything wrong."

"Clara, don't make this worse," he warned, his grip tightening on Sophia. "She's hurt. And she's upset. Just apologize for being careless, and we can move past this."

"But I wasn't careless!" My voice was a desperate plea, but it was lost in the growing tide of public opinion.

"Are you going to apologize, or do I have to make you?" he threatened, his eyes blazing with an unfamiliar anger. "Do you want to make Sophia look bad? Do you want everyone to think you're a clumsy liability who can't even walk straight?"

His words, his tone, were a betrayal more profound than any before. He wasn't just choosing her; he was actively turning against me. He was sacrificing my dignity, my truth, for her convenience, for his own popularity.

The faces around me merged into a sea of scorn. Mark stepped forward, his voice a venomous hiss. "Go on, freak. Say you're sorry. You're always causing trouble, aren't you? The poor blind girl who can't take care of herself, always messing things up for everyone else."

My body shook with a rage so fierce, it consumed me. But then Leo's voice cut through it, cold and unfeeling. "Clara. Apologize. Now." He stood up, Sophia still clinging to him, and took a step towards me. His eyes, once my safe harbor, were now an enemy.

He reached for me, his hand grasping my shoulder. His fingers dug into my flesh. "Say it, Clara."