Maya sat in the empty living room, the silence that had settled after Kian and Ivan left hanging heavily in the air. The weight of their kiss, the weight of their love for each other, clung to the walls, to the space they had occupied. Her thoughts swirled in a chaotic storm, each wave crashing against her mind without mercy.
She could still feel the burn of Ivan's dark eyes, the depth of the emotions that had flared between the two men. That kiss—it had torn something deep within her. It was one thing to suspect that they shared a connection. It was another thing entirely to see it played out before her eyes.
How had she gotten here? She had always known that Kian and Ivan were different—both complicated, both impossible to fully understand—but this? This was something entirely different. It was a moment she hadn't been prepared for, a moment that had opened her eyes to the truth she'd been too scared to face.
She let out a shaky breath, wiping the tears that had started to gather in her eyes. She hadn't realized how much she had been holding in, how much of her own confusion had been buried under the surface. But now it all seemed to pour out at once, like a dam breaking open, flooding her with raw emotions she couldn't control.
The sound of the door creaking open startled her, and she quickly wiped her eyes, hoping that no one would see the vulnerability she felt. But it was too late. Maya knew who it was before she even turned her head.
Kian.
He stepped into the room slowly, his movements cautious, as though he were unsure whether he was welcome. His eyes met hers, and for a moment, they just stood there, the space between them thick with the weight of everything that had happened.
"Maya," Kian said softly, his voice quieter than usual, as though he, too, was struggling to find the right words. He hesitated before taking a few steps closer to her. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
Maya swallowed hard, her chest tight with emotions she couldn't put into words. "You didn't," she said, her voice coming out more sharply than she intended. "I... I just didn't know what to expect."
Kian nodded, his expression one of regret. "I should have told you. I should have been upfront with you about everything."
"Why didn't you?" Maya asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She stood up now, the words coming faster as she moved towards him. "Why did you keep this from me, Kian? Why did you think I wouldn't find out? Or that I wouldn't care?"
"I didn't want to hurt you," Kian said, his eyes full of guilt. "I didn't want to drag you into this mess. Ivan and I… we have a history. And it's not an easy one."
Maya stared at him, searching his face for the truth. "And what about me?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly. "Where do I fit into all of this?"
For the first time since Kian had entered the room, he looked away. His eyes dropped to the floor, a pained expression crossing his face. "I don't know, Maya. I wish I did. I wish I could give you a clear answer."
Maya felt a sharp pang in her chest. She had always prided herself on being strong, on not letting people hurt her. But this... this was different. This was Kian—the man she had fallen for, the man who had always been her rock. And now, here he was, standing in front of her, just as lost as she was.
"I need you to be honest with me, Kian," she said, her voice trembling but firm. "I can't keep going around in circles, pretending that everything is fine when it's not. I can't keep pretending that I don't see the way you look at Ivan. That kiss…" She paused, swallowing the lump in her throat. "It hurt, Kian. It really hurt."
Kian's gaze flicked to hers, and there was a moment of vulnerability there that she hadn't seen before. He opened his mouth as if to say something but closed it again, unsure of how to explain the depth of his emotions.
"I'm sorry, Maya," he said, his voice low. "I know that doesn't change what happened. But the truth is… I don't want to hurt you. Not like this. I care about you. I care about both of you. But the situation is… complicated."
Maya closed her eyes, trying to breathe through the sudden dizziness that washed over her. She wanted to scream. She wanted to run away from all of it. But instead, she just stood there, feeling like her heart had been split wide open.
"I didn't ask for any of this, Kian," she whispered. "I didn't ask to be caught in the middle of your mess with Ivan."
"I know," Kian said softly, stepping forward, his hand reaching out to her. "And I wish things were different. I do. But I'm not the one who gets to decide how things play out. We all have to make choices now. And I don't know if I'm ready to let go of either of you. But I don't want to hurt you either."
Maya's eyes filled with tears again. She had never felt so overwhelmed, so completely unsure of everything.
"What do you want from me, Kian?" she asked, her voice barely audible.
"I want you to understand that I'm not trying to make you choose between us," Kian said, his voice breaking slightly. "But I need you to be honest with yourself. You're not the only one who's hurting here."
The words hung in the air between them, heavy with the truth Maya had been too afraid to face. She wasn't the only one hurting. Neither was Kian. And certainly, neither was Ivan.
"I don't know what to do with all of this," Maya admitted, her voice cracking as she dropped her gaze to the floor. "I don't know how to fix it."
Kian reached for her, his hand gentle on her shoulder. "I don't know if we can fix it, Maya. But I don't want to lose you. Not like this."
Maya looked up at him, her heart breaking all over again. She didn't want to lose him either. But how could she stay in this tangled mess of emotions, when all she wanted was the clarity that seemed so out of reach?
"I just need time," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I need time to figure out what's real. And what's not."
Kian nodded, his eyes sad but understanding. "Take all the time you need," he said quietly. "I'll be here when you're ready to talk."
And with that, he turned to leave, his footsteps echoing in the quiet room. Maya stayed where she was, her thoughts swirling in a haze of confusion, regret, and pain.
As the door clicked shut behind him, she knew that her world had shifted. She couldn't go back to how things were before. Not after everything that had happened.
But where did she go from here? And more importantly, who did she go to?