Ariana lay in a tight curl on her bed, eyes red from crying, fixated on her phone.
She drafted message after message, only to delete them time and again.
Pressing send would mean closing the chapter with Holden, something she wasnât fully ready for despite knowing better.
Guilt consumed her, especially given Holdenâs impending marriage.
How could she sustain her relationship with him?
After what seemed like an eternity of an internal battle, she sent a simple message.
âThank you.
â
Holdenâs heart caught in his throat as he read the message.
He quickly sent a puzzled emoji and replied, âWhy are you thanking me all of a sudden?â
As the minutes stretched, a knot of worry tightened in his stomach.
After a while, he decided to call her, only to be met with a swift rejection.
The sting of it was palpable.
Before he could process it, another message appeared.
âCanât talk.
Textingâs better for now.
â
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A storm of emotions swirled in Holden, and after a few deep breaths, he responded, âWhatâs going on?â
Arianaâs response was rapid, almost as if she had been waiting.
âThank you for stepping in pretending to be Melonâs dad.
Your support during this period⦠It meant everything.
â
Holdenâs heart raced as he read Arianaâs messages.
Arianaâs messages were all words thanking him, and it felt Like she was saying goodbye, making anxiety bubble within him.
Just as Holden was about to reply, Ariana sent another message.