Chapter 113: Iris: Reflections
I sit on the edge of my bed, staring blankly at the wall as the soft glow of the moon casts a silvery light through the window, illuminating the darkness of my room.
The fight with Lucas replays in my mind like a broken record, his hurt expression seared into my mory like a branding iron. I told him I needed space, but now the weight of my words feels crushing, suffocating
with regret.
How did we get here?
I thought we were solid, unshakeable. But now, it seems like a single misunderstanding is shattering everything. I bury my face in my hands, the sting of tears threatening to spill over. What am I doing hurting the both of us like this? I know Lucas wouldn’t do anything to hurt , but knowing he hid sothing like this from
is what’s making
this stupid.
In an attempt to distract myself from the swirling thoughts, I pick up my phone and start scrolling through social dia. But as I open the apps, my eyes start scanning the screens, searching for any sign of Lucas and Bella together. It has beco so sort of habit. I’m kind of waiting for them to show
any sign that they are using
as a decoy, then I’ll be sure of whatever is ringing in my head like alarm bells.
As I scroll through Lucas’s profiles, I see posts about his magazine, his friends, and his interests, but there’s no ntion of Bella in a romantic context. He is celebrating the success of the magazine, but as I look closely at the pictures, I can see that his eyes have no life in them. He looks like he hasn’t been sleeping well with dull eyes and dark eye bags under his eyes.
For so reason, knowing that I’m not the only one suffering because of our separation makes
feel better. I breathe a sigh of relief, feeling a glimr of hope. Maybe I was wrong to assu the worst.
I decided to dig deeper, checking Bella’s profiles to see if she’d posted anything about Lucas. Her recent posts are about her work and hobbies, with no hints of a new romance. I feel a pang of guilt, realizing I might have misjudged the situation entirely. The weight of my mistake settles in, and I slump back into the bed, my eyes fixed on the screen.
The realization hits
like a ton of bricks – I’ve been wrong, and now I need to make things right. I think about reaching out to Lucas, but I’m not sure if I’m ready to face the conversation. How am I going to go about it? What if he is mad at
for being such an ass all along when he asked
over and over again for an opportunity to explain himself?
Hell even Bella won’t stop annoying . She’s been sending apology after apology, asking for my forgiveness and I’ve been ignoring her each ti. Man, I’m such an ass. As if to mock , my phone lights up and Bella’s number pops up showing that she’s calling.
I pick up the phone, hesitating for a mont before answering, still processing my emotions after the epiphany I just had.
"Hey, Bella," I say, trying to sound calm.
"Iris, I’m so sorry," Bella says hurriedly, not even giving
a chance to breathe, her voice filled with remorse. "I feel terrible about what happened. I know I shouldn’t have posted pictures of Lucas and , but I was so blinded by winning the bet that I lost track of myself. I’m really sorry Iris."
I take a deep breath, letting her words sink in. "I know you an well, but do you know what I went through just because of you?"
The li goes silent and another pang of guilt hits , but what needs to be said, must be said. "Lucas and I are on a break right now because of this shitty prank you decided to play, and it’s not cute if you get what I an."
"I’m sorry," cos her silent voice, this ti shaky as though she’s crying.
"It’s okay, i get where you’re coming from, and I’m ready to finally let all of this go, but only if you ask Lucas for forgiveness too."
Bella sighs in relief. "Really?"
"Yes," I reply. "But please don’t ever do this again, okay?"
"Absolutely," Bella says firmly.
"Good," I say. "Let’s catch up soon when you apologize to Lucas."
Before I cut the call, Bella says in a rather too loud voice, "Iris, one more thing. Lucas really cares about you! So please don’t give up on him, okay?" Then she cuts the call.
Just as I’m lost in thought wondering what she ant by that, soone rings the doorbell downstairs and I rush there and open it. I look up to see Paul standing there with a hesitant smile. Behind him is Timir, in his usual composed deanor and comforting presence.
"Hey, Iris," Paul says gently. "Can we co in?" I nod slowly, unsure of what to say. They step inside, concern etched across their faces like a map of worry.
I spring into life and give them each a generous portion of ice cream, happy to finally serve Timir sothing. Once we’re settled, they finally decide to speak.
"Lucas is worried about you," Paul begins, his voice like a warm balm to my frazzled nerves. "He wants us to check on you." My heart twists at the thought of Lucas being worried about , a pang of longing shooting through my chest like an arrow.
"I’m fine," I reply, though it feels like a lie, a flimsy Band-Aid on a deep wound. Timir leans forward, his voice calm and steady, like a soothing lody.
"Iris, with all due respect, you are not fine. You both care for each other deeply, and it pains him to see you in distress." I look down, my heart aching at their words, the weight of my emotions threatening to crush .
"What makes you think I’m not fine?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. Timir’s expression is empathetic, his eyes filled with understanding.
"We’ve known Lucas for a long ti, Iris. We’ve seen him happy, and we’ve seen him hurt. Right now, he’s hurting because of the distance between you two. And we can see that you’re hurting too."
I nod slowly, feeling a lump form in my throat. "I just need so ti to think," I say, trying to explain. Timir nods understandingly.
"Ti can be a valuable resource, Iris. But sotis, too much ti can create more problems than it solves. Lucas loves you, and he’s willing to work through this with you. Are you willing to do the sa?"
I look up at Timir, feeling a surge of emotion. "I don’t know," I admit, my voice shaking. "I’ve been so caught up in my fears and doubts. I don’t know if I can fix this."
Timir’s expression softens. "Iris, relationships are about growth and compromise. It’s not about being perfect; it’s about being willing to work through the imperfections together. Lucas is willing to do that. The question is, are you?"
His words strike a chord within . I think about Lucas, about our relationship, and about the love we’ve shared. I realize that I’ve been focusing on my fears instead of working through them with Lucas. To think Tim had this deep look on life all along.
"Talk to him, Iris," Paul encourages, his voice filled with warmth. "Tell him how you’re feeling. He’ll listen, and he’ll understand."
I nod at them, and we sit in comfortable silence, each with their thoughts as we gobble our ice cream.
As they prepare to leave, Timir hands
a small note. "This is Lucas’s number just in case you deleted it," he says. "If you need to talk to him, he’s waiting for your call."
I take the note, almost laughing at their thoughtfulness and feeling a sense of determination wash over . I know what I need to do. I need to talk to Lucas, to tell him how I’m feeling, and to work through our issues together.
As they leave, the door clicks softly behind them, leaving
alone with my thoughts. I sit in silence, their words echoing in my mind like a mantra, a reminder of what I have to do. I’ve been so focused on my feelings that I haven’t considered how Lucas might be handling all this. I know I have to make a decision. I can’t stay in this limbo of uncertainty, this emotional purgatory. I miss Lucas, miss the way he makes
feel alive, like I’m ho.
With a newfound resolve, I stand up and pace the room, searching for an outfit to wear, my feet bare on the cool floor. I know I have to see him, to talk face-to-face, to find a way to express my fears without pushing him away. Maybe then, we can find our way back to each other, back to the love that has been our anchor in the storm.
Finally, dressed and ready to leave, I head back downstairs, a sudden burst of excitent surging within
like a spark of electricity.
But before I can take a step outside the house, I collide with soone, the impact jolting
back to reality. "What the—?" I exclaim, stumbling back a step, my heart racing like a wild animal.
Standing in front of
is my mother, her expression a mix of surprise and annoyance, like a storm cloud gathering on the horizon. Next to her is a man I recognize—the grey-eyed envelope guy. My gut churns when our eyes et and I take a step back, feeling like hell is about to break loose for no reason.
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