The night air carried a faint chill that brushed against Vanessa's skin as she stepped out of the café. The city lights glimmered faintly on wet pavement, a reflection of thoughts she could no longer contain. She had told Elena she would meet a friend for a quick talk, but that lie now weighed on her chest like a stone.
Cory stood under the same streetlight from that night. His posture was calm, collected, but the air around him carried a sharp tension. She walked toward him slowly, her heels clicking softly against the concrete.
"You came," he said.
Her voice faltered before finding strength. "You asked me to."
For a long moment, neither spoke. Only the hum of a distant car filled the silence. Vanessa tried to look away, but his eyes held her still. He wasn't angry, not entirely. More like curious—studying her, reading her face as if every twitch meant something.
"I didn't think you'd reach out again," she said quietly.
"I didn't either," he replied. "But things changed. You made them change."
Vanessa's breath caught. "You talk like I had a choice."
"You always have a choice," he said, his voice low. "But you chose me once."
She turned away, staring at the cracked edge of the sidewalk. The world felt too still. "And I'm still paying for it," she whispered.
Cory stepped closer. "You think I'm here to ruin you?"
She said nothing. He gave a small laugh, one without joy. "You're not the first to think that. But I didn't come here to make things worse."
"Then why?"
His eyes softened a fraction. "Because you look like you're about to break. And I hate watching things fall apart when I can stop it."
Vanessa let out a shaky breath. "You stopped caring about me long ago. Don't pretend otherwise."
"That's not true."
"It is," she said. "You only remember me when you need something."
He didn't deny it. That silence confirmed more than any confession could.
"Does she know?" she asked finally.
"Elena?"
"Yeah."
Cory's jaw tightened. "No. She doesn't need to."
"She's my sister."
"She's my colleague," he said coldly. "And that's how it will stay."
Vanessa looked down, blinking hard. The distance between them felt wide enough to drown in.
"Then why keep calling me?" she asked, voice cracking.
Cory exhaled sharply. "Because I wanted to see if you'd changed."
Her lip trembled. "And have I?"
He stared for a long time before answering. "You've gotten better at lying."
The words hit harder than he expected. Vanessa stepped back, her breath uneven. "You don't know me anymore."
"Maybe not. But I know when someone's pretending to be strong."
For a heartbeat, she wanted to scream. But instead, she laughed—a broken sound that made his chest tighten. "You talk like you're clean. Like you didn't start this."
Cory's hand twitched. "You think I planned to?"
"Didn't you?"
His silence spoke for him.
Vanessa took another step back. "I came because I thought I needed closure. But maybe I just wanted to prove to myself that I could still face you without shaking."
Cory moved forward, closing the space between them. "And did you?"
"No," she said softly. "Not even close."
The lamplight flickered once, then steadied. She could see the shadow under his eyes, the exhaustion buried in his calm. He reached into his coat pocket, pulling out his phone.
"Don't call me again," she said quickly. "Not unless it's about work or Elena."
He paused. "And if I do?"
"I won't answer."
They stood in silence for what felt like forever. Finally, she turned and started walking toward her car. Her steps were steady, but her heartbeat wasn't.
"Vanessa," Cory called out.
She stopped but didn't turn.
"I didn't plan any of this," he said. "You were the one thing I didn't expect."
She almost looked back, but something inside her refused. "Then stop expecting anything."
She left him standing under the light, alone with the words he couldn't take back.
The next morning came with pale sunlight streaming through Elena's apartment window. The faint hum of the kettle filled the kitchen. Vanessa sat at the small table, stirring coffee she hadn't yet sipped. Her eyes looked tired, her hair slightly unkempt from a restless night.
Elena stepped in quietly. "You're up early."
Vanessa forced a smile. "Couldn't sleep."
"You sure you're okay?" Elena asked.
"Yeah," Vanessa said too quickly. "Just thinking about heading back soon. My classes resume next week."
Elena hesitated, then sat across from her. "That's fast. I thought you were staying till the weekend."
Vanessa shrugged. "Plans changed."
Elena watched her carefully. There was something in her sister's tone that didn't sit right. "You've been distracted since yesterday. Did something happen?"
Vanessa looked up with a light smile that didn't reach her eyes. "No. Nothing happened."
"Vanessa…"
Her sister's voice softened, but Vanessa didn't meet her gaze. "Really, it's nothing. I just have a lot on my mind."
Elena didn't push. She wanted to, but she knew when to stop. Vanessa had that same look she wore as a teenager whenever she was hiding something—eyes calm but restless underneath.
Elena stood and turned to the counter. "At least eat something before you leave."
"I will," Vanessa said, still stirring her untouched coffee.
The silence between them was heavy, but familiar.
Her phone buzzed on the table. A message preview lit up the screen. Vanessa glanced at it quickly, flipping it over before Elena could notice.
From: CORY
We need to talk again. Tonight.
Vanessa's hand froze. For a moment, she couldn't breathe. She stared at her reflection in the black screen of the phone.
Elena looked over her shoulder. "You sure you're okay?"
Vanessa smiled faintly. "Yeah. Just a message from a classmate."
Elena nodded slowly, but her eyes said otherwise.
Vanessa pushed her chair back and stood up. "I should get ready."
"Alright," Elena said softly. "Don't rush yourself."
Vanessa nodded and walked down the hall. Once alone, she leaned against the wall and let out a deep breath. Her fingers clenched around the phone.
She opened the message again, reading it over and over until the letters blurred. Then she typed one word in reply.
Where?
No answer came right away.
Through the window, sunlight spilled into the hallway, warm but blinding. It caught her face for a moment, but she didn't move.
Because deep down, she already knew she would go.
That night, Vanessa stood by the same street where it all began. The air felt colder now. Each second stretched thin.
Cory's car stopped at the edge of the light. He didn't step out immediately. When he finally did, his expression was unreadable.
"You came," he said again.
Vanessa's voice was steady this time. "You knew I would."
He nodded once, slipping his hands into his pockets. "We need to talk about Elena."
Vanessa froze.
"What about her?"
Cory's eyes flickered with something sharp. "She's starting to notice things."
Her heart pounded. "What things?"
He didn't answer right away. "Just be careful what you say around her."
The words were soft, but they carried weight.
Vanessa frowned. "You're dragging her into this now?"
"I'm protecting both of you," he said quietly.
She shook her head. "You're protecting yourself."
Cory's expression didn't change, but his silence said enough.
The wind picked up slightly, carrying the faint sound of passing cars. Vanessa looked up at the night sky—empty, cloudless.
"Whatever you're planning," she said, "I don't want to be part of it anymore."
He stepped closer. "It's not that simple."
"I'll make it simple."
Their eyes locked. For a moment, neither moved. The distance between them held everything unspoken.
Cory lowered his voice. "You're already in too deep."
Vanessa's throat went dry. She wanted to argue, to tell him he was wrong. But deep down, she knew he wasn't.
Her phone buzzed again in her pocket. She didn't check it.
"Goodnight, Cory."
She turned and walked away, her footsteps fading into the quiet.
Cory stood there for a long time after she was gone, staring at the empty road ahead.
His phone lit up. A message from an unknown number flashed across the screen.
It's done.
He read it twice, then deleted it.
The streetlight flickered once, and he finally turned away.