The weight of everything that had happened lingered heavily in Bella's heart. The arguments, the betrayal, the slap, the tears , it was all too much. She had spent the last few days locked away in her room, barely eating, barely speaking. Kathy was there, always nearby, but Bella needed silence more than company.
One quiet afternoon, with her phone in her hand and her heart still aching, she stared at the last messages from Justin and Austin. Her thumb hovered above their names in her chat list.
First, Justin.
"Bella please… just talk to me."
"Let me explain more. Please."
Then, Austin.
"I just want to understand. I thought what we had was real."
"I'm hurt… but I still want to talk."
Bella shut her eyes, took a long breath, and whispered to herself, "I can't keep doing this to myself."
It was too much. The back and forth. The confusion. The pressure to choose. Her peace had been torn apart.
Without another thought, she clicked both chats…
Block.
And then again,
Block.
The silence that followed was almost freeing. Her hands trembled, but her chest felt lighter. Bella dropped the phone on the bed and sat on the floor, leaning against the wall.
Kathy walked in slowly, watching her. "Did you…?"
Bella nodded, "I blocked them."
Kathy walked over, sat beside her, and pulled her into a warm hug.
"Good. Maybe now, you can finally breathe."
Bella didn't respond. A tear rolled down her cheek, but this one wasn't from heartbreak,it was relief.
"I feel like I need a break from men entirely. Maybe even WiFi."
"Or maybe just pass your exams first," Kathy smirked. "Let's focus on that paper. You owe it to yourself to leave this semester strong."
Bella nodded, finally sitting upright and reaching for her notebook. "Okay. No more crying. Just... studying."
Kathy smiled. "There's the girl I know."
They opened their books, side by side on the bed. The room was peaceful again. The chaos was paused. And for the first time in days, Bella's heart wasn't racing.
She still didn't know how the story would end, but at least, for now, she was back in control of her own chapter.