Ivy's POV
I decided I would talk to him today. At lunch. No more stalling. No more rehearsing conversations in my head that never saw the light of day.
The morning moved unbearably slow. Every tick of the clock dragged like it was mocking me. By the time the bell finally rang, my stomach was tight with nerves, but I grabbed Aleah's hand anyway and asked her to come with me. I needed her close, like a steady breath I could borrow if mine failed.
We walked to where their squad usually sat — beneath that lopsided tree near the far end of the courtyard. It always looked like the kind of place secrets got whispered or buried.
We waited.
When I saw them approaching, I counted quickly. Five. One missing. And it wasn't him. The one I needed to see.
I waved, small and hopeful. "Sage!"
He looked at me. Or rather, through me. His face didn't shift, didn't acknowledge anything familiar. Just blank, like my presence was a pebble in his path — something to be avoided, stepped around.
Still, I moved toward him, legs trembling beneath my composure. I stopped just in front of him and asked softly, "Can we talk? Just for a minute?"
Sage didn't meet my eyes. He scratched the back of his neck, glanced at his friends, then let out a breath like I'd asked him to carry a weight he didn't want.
"What for?" he said, voice flat.
I blinked. "I just… I wanted to understand. What happened. Between us."
He shifted his backpack on his shoulder, already halfway turned away. "Nothing happened. We just stopped talking. That's it."
"No, but—" I began, trying to search his face for even a flicker of care.
"Ivy," he interrupted, finally meeting my gaze, "it's not that deep. People grow apart. You're reading into it too much."
I felt the words land like cold water in my chest. "But we were—"
"Friends," he cut in, sharp this time. "We were friends. People change. That's all."
Silence.
I didn't know what to say next. Not when his tone made it clear that whatever we had was already folded, shelved, and forgotten.
Behind me, I felt Aleah's presence — quiet, protective. I didn't need to turn around to know she was watching everything, feeling it with me. Her silence was the only kind that didn't hurt.
Sage gave a small shrug, then walked past me. His friends followed without a word.
I just stood there, trying not to let the heat in my chest rise to my eyes.