The dorm hallway was quiet except for the echo of Luiz's steps. The lights flickered, washing the walls in pale gold and shadow. His phone screen still glowed in his hand —"Just checking if you're still alive."The message pulsed in his chest like a heartbeat he couldn't control.
He slipped the phone into his pocket and pushed the door open quietly.The room smelled faintly of cologne and dust. Kevin was sprawled across his bed, snoring softly, one arm hanging off the edge. Mara's side was empty — sheets messy, her perfume still lingering like a ghost that refused to leave.
Luiz froze.Her absence hit harder than he expected.
He sat on the edge of his bed, running a hand through his hair. His body still ached from the hike with Clara — from her laughter echoing against the cliffs, the way she leaned into him during the run through the rain, the way her lips had silenced every reason he had to stop.
And now, under the cold dorm lights, it all came crashing in — guilt, confusion, and something darker.
He checked his phone again. No more messages.Just the one that refused to fade.
He typed out a reply —"Who is this?"—but didn't send it. He deleted it instead.
Instead, he scrolled to Clara's contact.Her last text was still open:"Today was perfect. I can't sleep. I keep replaying it all."He smiled faintly, then sighed.
Two women.Two different worlds.
Mara — fierce, unpredictable, the past he never meant to keep.Clara — warm, honest, the peace he'd been chasing since the day everything fell apart.
He leaned back, staring at the ceiling.His chest tightened. He didn't know if what he felt for Clara was love or if it was just the light he needed after too long in the dark. But Mara's face kept haunting him — the way she'd looked at him before he left, her eyes searching for something he wasn't brave enough to give.
He looked toward the dark window, the night pressing against the glass like a reflection of the storm inside him.
Mara's perfume still lingered in the air.Clara's voice still echoed in his mind.
And Luiz Valentine realized that sometimes, the hardest part wasn't choosing between two people.It was choosing which part of yourself you were willing to lose.