Chapter 6 Broken Bonds

Maya didn't sleep much that night. The events of the evening played over and over in her mind, each moment more vivid than the last. The tension between her and Liam, the overwhelming intensity of their connection-it was all so much to process. But there was also Ethan, waiting for her, wondering what was happening, what was wrong.

It had all become so complicated, so twisted in a way she hadn't expected. The certainty she once had in her relationship with Ethan now felt like a distant memory. And the feelings she was beginning to acknowledge for Liam-feelings she wasn't ready to confront-were only making it worse.

When her alarm went off the next morning, Maya couldn't bring herself to get out of bed. She didn't want to face the day. She didn't want to confront the reality of what she was doing, what she was becoming.

Her phone buzzed beside her, the screen lighting up with a new message.

It was from Ethan.

"I've been thinking about what you said last night. If you're ready, I'd like to talk today."

Maya stared at the screen for what felt like hours, the words seeming to blur before her eyes. She had hoped the time apart would give her clarity, but it only left her more confused.

Talk?

She hadn't even answered Liam's last message, hadn't responded to the raw, open way he'd made her feel. But now Ethan was asking for a conversation, and Maya knew it was only a matter of time before she'd have to face the man she'd been with for so long.

Her phone buzzed again-this time, it was a message from Liam.

"I can't stop thinking about you, Maya. We need to talk."

The message was simple, yet it cut through her like a knife. She could almost hear his voice in the words, could feel the weight of them in her chest.

Maya sank back into her pillow, her heart torn in two directions. She wanted to stay in bed forever, to avoid all of it-to avoid both of them. But she couldn't. The choices she was avoiding would never go away.

Later that afternoon, Maya stood in front of the mirror in her apartment, staring at her reflection as she adjusted the hem of her dress. She had agreed to meet Ethan for lunch, though every part of her was dreading it. She hadn't seen him in over two days, and the guilt that weighed on her was unbearable.

Her phone buzzed again, the sudden vibration making her jump. She glanced down-this time it was a call. The name flashing across the screen sent a shock through her system.

Liam.

Maya let the phone ring, her thumb hovering over the decline button. She couldn't talk to him now-not while she was trying to figure out what to do with Ethan. She was a mess, caught between two worlds, and neither one was where she wanted to be.

She let the call go to voicemail.

When she arrived at the restaurant where she and Ethan had agreed to meet, Maya's stomach was in knots. The elegant space was cozy, warm, with soft lighting and the clink of glasses filling the air. She spotted Ethan immediately, sitting at a small corner table, his eyes scanning the menu but clearly waiting for her.

He stood as soon as she approached, a soft smile pulling at his lips. But there was something in his eyes-a quiet sadness-that made her heart ache.

"Maya," he said, pulling out her chair for her. "I'm glad you could make it."

She sat down slowly, unable to find her voice at first. How could she possibly explain what was going on inside her? How could she tell him that she was torn between him and someone else-someone she had only recently realized had the power to make her feel alive in ways she hadn't experienced before?

"Are you okay?" Ethan asked, his voice full of concern. "You've been distant lately. I know something's on your mind. You can talk to me."

Maya swallowed, her hands trembling slightly in her lap. She had thought about this moment a thousand times, but now that she was here, she had no words. She had no idea how to tell him the truth without breaking everything they had built.

"I'm not okay," Maya finally admitted, her voice quiet.

Ethan's face softened. He reached across the table, his hand warm and reassuring on hers. "You don't have to hide it, Maya. Whatever it is, we can work through it. Together."

But Maya didn't know how to tell him the truth, the truth she hadn't even fully come to terms with herself. How could she explain that her heart was pulling her in two different directions-toward him, the man who had been her rock, and toward Liam, who had become a force she couldn't ignore?

"I've been thinking a lot," Maya said, her voice barely a whisper. "About everything. About us. And I don't know what to do anymore."

Ethan's brow furrowed, his grip tightening on her hand. "What do you mean, Maya? What's going on?"

She took a deep breath, her chest heavy. She couldn't keep hiding the truth. It had to come out. "I've... I've been seeing someone else."

The words hung in the air like a bomb, exploding in slow motion. She could see the shock in Ethan's eyes, the pain that flickered there before he quickly masked it with a forced smile.

"Who?" he asked, his voice tight.

Maya couldn't bring herself to say Liam's name. It felt like a betrayal to Ethan, like a crack in everything they'd built. But there was no going back now. "I... I don't know how to explain it. I didn't mean for it to happen. But I can't ignore it anymore. There's something between us that's... real."

The silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating. Ethan's hand pulled away from hers, and Maya could see the hurt settling in his eyes.

"I didn't expect this," he said, his voice quieter now, the warmth gone from it. "I thought we had something, Maya. But if you're seeing someone else, how can we move forward? How can I trust you?"

Maya's heart shattered in that moment. The weight of her actions-the confusion, the betrayal-crushed her. She had never wanted to hurt Ethan, but in doing so, she had hurt them both.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I never wanted to hurt you."

Ethan stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. "I think you need to figure this out, Maya," he said, his voice shaking slightly. "But I can't be a part of it anymore. Not like this."

With that, he turned and walked out of the restaurant, leaving Maya staring at the empty seat across from her, her heart in pieces.