Chapter 6 Six

The sky dimmed as heavy clouds rolled in, casting long shadows over the neighborhood and stealing the sun's warmth. It was the kind of overcast day that made people stay indoors, curled up with loved ones or wrapped in the comfort of knowing someone was thinking of them. But Lisa had neither of those comforts. She sat quietly in Johnson's living room, the ticking clock on the wall echoing in the silence like a mocking reminder of time wasted.

She had left school early, traveled hours just to spend one last day with Johnson before heading back. One day, that was all she asked for. And yet, from the moment she arrived, he was nowhere to be found. No text, no call, not even a note to explain his absence. Just silence. The kind that hurt more than words ever could.

Her phone vibrated, but it wasn't him. Just a group message from her classmates talking about assignments and weekend plans. She sighed, sinking deeper into the couch, wrapping her arms around herself as if that would hold back the questions crowding her mind.

The front door creaked open around dusk, and Johnson stepped in, keys jingling in his hand. His expression was unreadable, casually indifferent, as if he hadn't just disappeared on her for an entire day.

"Oh, hello Lisa," he said, glancing at her briefly. "Apologies for not, I didn't want to bother you."

She sat up straight, blinking at him. That was his excuse? She had crossed cities to see him, and he didn't want to bother her?

"It's okay," she said, too tired to argue. "I get it."

But she didn't get it. Not really. All she got was a sinking feeling in her stomach, a quiet voice whispering that maybe, just maybe, she was starting to see the real Johnson.

That night, his friends dropped by. They were loud, laughing, and half-drunk before they even stepped through the door. Johnson had bagged a business deal with one of them, and they were there to celebrate. Lisa tried to play the good girlfriend, smiling through the introductions, sipping on whatever was handed to her. She felt invisible in a room full of people who didn't seem to care that she was there, and Johnson didn't do much to make her feel otherwise.

The music throbbed, the alcohol flowed like water, and the house turned into a miniature nightclub. Lisa found herself sitting in a corner chair, half-tipsy, watching the chaos unfold. Her red satin nightie peeked out beneath her robe, and her legs, bare and smooth, glistened under the dim lights. She wasn't drunk, just... warm. Warm enough to stop second-guessing things. Warm enough to let her thoughts float instead of sink.

Johnson found her like that alone, glowing, distant. He crossed the room slowly, crouched down in front of her, and just looked at her.

"Can I touch you?" he asked, his voice low and thick with desire.

Lisa blinked slowly, her breath catching in her throat. She was vulnerable, soft, open in ways she hadn't planned to be.

"Yes," she whispered, not sure if it was the alcohol or her heart answering for her.

He carried her to the bedroom like she weighed nothing, cradled her like a secret, and laid her down as if placing a fragile truth on the bed. The doors locked. The curtains closed. What happened next was all heat and rhythm and breath. No words. Just feeling. The night stretched long and slow, their bodies tangled until sleep claimed them in each other's arms.

When Lisa opened her eyes the next morning, the sun was already up. The air felt different cooler, clearer, almost sterile. She reached out to touch the space beside her, expecting warmth, presence.

But it was empty. The sheets are cold. The bed is perfectly made.

She sat up fast, blinking in confusion. Her suitcase had been packed. Her things folded. The driver was waiting outside.

The intimacy of the night before had evaporated. In its place was precision. Finality.

Johnson knocked gently on the door, dressed and clean, like nothing had happened.

"Are you ready now?" he asked.

Lisa swallowed hard. "Yeah... I am."

She expected tenderness. Maybe a kiss goodbye. A hesitation. A look that said stay. But none of it came. Instead, he walked her to the car and waved once before disappearing back into the house. As the driver pulled away, Lisa stared out the window, her heart unraveling slowly. The memory of his arms around her felt like a cruel dream.

Back at school, Lisa tried to distract herself with books and classes, but her mind kept circling back to him. Was she overthinking things? Was it just a bad day? But then, why did it feel like the night they shared meant nothing to him? Johnson called later that evening, his voice casual, avoiding any mention of what happened. He asked if she was okay, how her journey went, and if she needed anything. But there was a hollow in his words, like he was reading from a script.

Lisa played along. She smiled through their conversations, texted back with emojis and affection, but there was a growing distance she could feel in her bones.

Then, a week later, they were on a video call. His face lit up her screen, and for a moment, it felt like old times. They laughed about silly things, gossiped about friends, and teased each other like nothing was wrong. Just as Lisa was about to end the call, Johnson's tone shifted.

"Lisa," he said, scratching the back of his neck, "can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

He hesitated. "Be my girl."

Lisa froze. The words hung in the air, suspended between them.

"I know I've been avoiding it," he continued. "But I can't fight it anymore. I love you, Lisa. I didn't want to admit it before. My past... I've seen so many messy relationships, and I guess I was scared. But you're different."

Lisa's heart swelled. She had wanted to hear those words for so long. She had imagined him saying them in a thousand better ways, in some romantic setting. But this was real. Vulnerable. Unexpected.

"Yes," she whispered. "Yes, I'll be your girl."

In that moment, all her doubts, all the strange silences and emotional distance, vanished. She wanted to believe him. She chose to.

But love doesn't always stay the same.

As the weeks passed, Lisa fell deeper. She'd visit Johnson whenever she could, her heart skipping every time she saw him. But slowly, something shifted. Johnson began to change. He was still there, still affectionate, but distracted. Distant. Relaxed to the point of complacency.

She noticed he only seemed busy when she was around. When she wasn't visiting, he was always home, texting her, sending pictures of himself in bed, or watching TV. But when she came to see him, that's when the errands started. That's when he had to go meet this friend, or that one, or rush off for something he "forgot."

At first, Lisa excused it. Maybe he was trying to juggle too much. Maybe it was a coincidence. But as it kept happening, visit after visit, week after week, her mind refused to stay quiet.

One afternoon, as Johnson buttoned his shirt to go meet a friend, she tried to sound casual.

"Hey... why don't I come with you today? I get so bored here alone."

He stiffened. "Nah, you wouldn't enjoy it. They're just guys. And honestly... I don't like mixing my girls with my boys. They're not exactly role models."

"But I've met a few before," Lisa pushed gently. "They didn't seem that bad."

Johnson gave her a sharp look. "Yeah, and I like it that way. I don't want them talking about you. You know how men are. Just let me handle them."

"So... I can't go?"

"No," he said, grabbing his keys. "I'll be back soon."

Lisa sat alone again, the silence even heavier now. Her mind spiraled. She thought about the anonymous messages she'd once received, warning her about him. She'd deleted them, blocked the number, and convinced herself that people just didn't understand him like she did.

But now... now she wasn't so sure.

Was he protecting her from his friends? Or hiding something from her?

Her eyes landed on his phone, left carelessly on the table. Her heart raced. Her palms began to sweat.

Would she find nothing? Or everything?

Lisa stood slowly, walked over, and picked it up. It was locked.

Of course it was.

She put it back down, but the suspicion remained. Buried in her like a thorn.

Had she given herself too soon?

Had she fallen in love with someone she never truly knew?

The rain finally began outside, soft at first, then furious, as if echoing the storm now raging in Lisa's chest.

And for the first time, she didn't know if this was a love story...

Or the beginning of her heartbreak.