Chapter 11: The Twist
Linda stared at her phone, her fingers hovering over the screen.
She had not planned for this.
The restaurant was warm, filled with soft music and Valentine decorations—red ribbons, heart-shaped lights, quiet laughter from couples who seemed certain of each other. Linda sat across from the man she had spent weeks opening up to. In person, he looked just like his pictures. Calm. Confident. Familiar.
Too familiar.
Her phone buzzed again.
Mathilda: I still can't get in. What should I do?
Linda exhaled slowly.
She reached into her bag and touched the spare key. Mathilda always forgot things—her charger, her wallet, her keys. This wasn't new.
I have the spare key with me, Linda typed. I'll send you my location. Just come pick it up.
She hesitated for a second, then pressed send location.
Across the table, the man smiled. "Everything okay?"
"Yes," Linda replied quickly. "My friend just forgot her key."
He nodded. "That happens."
Linda didn't notice the slight stiffness in his shoulders. The way his jaw tightened for just a moment.
Mathilda stood on the sidewalk staring at the map on her phone.
Downtown.
A café-hotel area.
Her stomach twisted.
Why would Linda be there already? she wondered.
She tried to shake the feeling off. It was Valentine's Day. Of course Linda would be somewhere nice.
Still, something felt off.
The ride there was quiet. Mathilda sat with her hands folded in her lap, her mind racing. She thought about the man she had been FaceTiming for weeks. The way he smiled at her through the screen. The way he laughed at her jokes. The late-night talks that made her feel seen.
She opened his chat.
Hey, are you busy?
No reply.
Her chest tightened.
Maybe he's at work, she told herself.
The car slowed to a stop.
"You're here," the driver said.
Mathilda stepped out and looked around.
Her heart began to pound.
The place was beautiful. Soft lights. Valentine décor everywhere. Couples holding hands.
She walked inside slowly.
Her eyes scanned the room.
Then she saw Linda.
Linda was sitting at a table near the window.
Mathilda felt a small wave of relief.
Then her eyes moved to the man sitting across from her.
Her breath stopped.
Her body froze.
Her mind refused to understand what her eyes were seeing.
The same haircut.The same jacket.The same smile—just not meant for her.
Her phone slipped from her hand and fell to the floor.
Linda looked up.
Their eyes met.
Linda's face drained of color.
"Mathilda?" Linda stood up quickly. "What are you—"
The man turned his head.
And everything shattered.
Their eyes met.
Recognition hit instantly.
"Mathilda," he said softly.
The room felt suddenly too small.
Too loud.
Too quiet.
Mathilda's chest burned. "You?" she whispered.
Linda's voice shook. "You two know each other?"
Mathilda laughed, but it wasn't funny. It sounded broken.
"Know each other?" she repeated. "I've been FaceTiming him every night."
Linda's world tilted.
She turned slowly to the man. "What is she talking about?"
He opened his mouth.
Closed it.
Silence answered for him.
Mathilda stepped forward, her hands shaking. "You told me you were taking things slow. You said you weren't seeing anyone else."
Linda felt her heart crack. "You told me the same thing."
People nearby began to stare.
The man rubbed his face. "I didn't think—"
"You didn't think what?" Mathilda snapped. "That we'd ever meet?"
Linda felt tears sting her eyes. "I swear, Mathilda. I didn't know. If I had—"
Mathilda turned to her sharply. "You still sent me your location. You still came here with him."
"Because of the key," Linda said quickly. "That's all."
Mathilda's voice broke. "So this is your Valentine's date?"
Linda looked down. "Yes."
The word hurt them both.
The man tried to step in. "I didn't mean for this to happen."
Mathilda laughed bitterly. "But it did."
She looked at Linda, really looked at her.
"You were smiling," Mathilda said quietly. "I saw it."
Linda felt her chest tighten. "I was happy. I thought it was real."
Mathilda nodded slowly. "So did I."
The truth sat between them—ugly and undeniable.
One man.Two women.One friendship caught in the middle.
The man reached out, but Mathilda stepped back.
"Don't touch me," she said.
Linda's voice trembled. "Mathilda, please. Let's go somewhere else and talk."
Mathilda shook her head. "There's nothing to talk about."
She bent down, picked up her phone, and turned toward the door.
Linda followed her. "I didn't betray you. I didn't know."
Mathilda stopped and turned around, eyes blazing.
"But now you know," she said. "And you're still here with him."
Linda froze.
The man watched, silent.
"I haven't chosen anything," Linda whispered.
Mathilda's voice dropped. "You already did."
She looked at the man one last time. "You're not worth this."
Then she looked at Linda.
"I trusted you."
Those words hurt more than anything else.
Mathilda walked out.
The door closed behind her.
Linda stood there, shaking.
The man reached for her hand.
She pulled away.
"Don't," she said firmly.
Her Valentine's dream had collapsed in minutes.
Outside, Mathilda walked down the street, tears blurring her vision. Couples passed her, laughing, holding flowers.
She felt invisible.
Not because she forgot her key.
But because she unlocked a truth she was never meant to see.