Minnie POV
I heard my phone ringing and quickly answered the call. It was Will. He asked me to come outside. When I stepped out of the coffee shop, I saw him waiting in his car. My heart skipped a beat. I told Maya I was leaving and waved goodbye before walking toward him. I opened the car door and sat beside him.
"How are you?" I asked softly.
He smiled and said, "I'm good."
I fastened my seatbelt, and he started driving. The silence between us felt strange at first, so he asked about my day. I began to tell him everything-how my father had apologized to my mom, how he asked for forgiveness, and how Mom finally decided to give him a second chance. I smiled while speaking, because for the first time in a long time, our house felt peaceful.
Will listened quietly, his eyes fixed on the road. I could see a small smile on his face.
"That's really good, Minnie," he said. "Your mom deserves happiness."
I nodded. "Yes... after everything she went through, she finally smiled again."
For a few moments, we just drove in silence, but this time it felt comfortable, not awkward. I looked out of the window, feeling lighter than before. I wanted to tell him how scared I was when Mom was in the hospital and how much his messages meant to me, but the words stayed in my throat.
Instead, I took a deep breath and said, "Thank you for asking about her... it really means a lot to me."
He glanced at me for a second and smiled gently before turning his eyes back to the road. My heart felt warm, yet nervous, because I didn't know what this meeting would change between us.
We reached the restaurant and ordered our food. At first, we talked about the place and how beautiful it looked, pretending everything was normal. When the food arrived and we started eating, silence slowly settled between us. It felt heavy.
I looked at him and asked softly, "Is something wrong?"
He sighed and said, "I have a lot of pending work and..." He stopped in between, as if the words were too hard to say.
"And...?" I asked, my heart beating faster.
He took a deep breath and finally said, "Tomorrow evening... we are going back to Paris."
For a second, the whole world stopped for me. My hands froze, but I didn't let it show on my face. I forced a smile and said, "Oh... okay. Nice
But inside, something broke.
I looked down at my plate and whispered, "So... this is our last dinner."
"Don't think like that," he said quickly. "I'll always be available for you. You can text me or call me anytime. You're the closest friend I met in Chennai. I really like the time we spent together. Honestly, I'm frustrated to go back to my regular work after this vacation."
I nodded slowly and said, "I will miss you too, Will. You're the only person I really hung out with here. It was... nice spending time with you."
My words sounded normal, but my heart was screaming. I smiled at him so he wouldn't see my pain, but my eyes burned with unshed tears. This dinner felt like a goodbye I was never ready for, and I didn't know how to stop myself from breaking while sitting right in front of him.
Will POV
The dinner felt heavier than I expected. Minnie tried to smile, but I could see something change in her eyes when I told her we were leaving for Paris tomorrow. She acted strong, yet her silence said more than her words.
I kept talking, trying to make things sound normal. "You can call me anytime, Minnie. You're my closest friend here. Chennai gave me you... that's something I'll never forget."
She nodded and said she would miss me too. Her voice was steady, but her hands trembled when she lifted her glass. That small movement hit me harder than any words. I knew I was hurting her without meaning to.
On the drive back, the city lights passed by quietly. Neither of us spoke much. The air between us was filled with things we were too afraid to say. I wanted to tell her everything - about the confusion in my heart, about how she had become important to me - but fear held my tongue. I didn't want to give her hope when I was about to leave.
When we reached her house, I parked the car and turned to her. She smiled again, the same brave smile she always wore.
"Thank you for today, Will," she said softly. "Drive safe."
I nodded. "You too... take care of your mom. And focus on your exams, okay?"
She opened the door, then stopped for a second as if she wanted to say something more. But she didn't. She just waved and walked toward her house without looking back.
I stayed in the car and watched her disappear inside.
Only then did I realize how quiet my heart had become.
I told myself I did the right thing. I treated her only as a friend. I kept my distance so she wouldn't get hurt, i Singh and started the engine and drove away
Minnie POV
The moment I closed my bedroom door, my body gave up.
I slid down slowly and sat on the floor, my back against the door, as if it was the only thing holding me together. My fingers were shaking. My bag slipped from my shoulder and fell beside me, but I didn't care.
My chest hurts.
Not the kind of pain you can touch... the kind that sits inside your heart and refuses to leave.
Tears blurred my vision. I tried to breathe, but every breath felt heavy, like something was crushing me from inside. I covered my mouth with my hand so no one would hear me break.
Why did it hurt this much?
Today my mother smiled.
Today my father begged for forgiveness.
Today my family was healing.
I should have been happy.
But instead, I felt empty.
Will's face kept coming back to my mind. His voice. His smile. The way he said he would leave for Paris. The way he called me his "close friend."
Close friend.
That word felt like a knife.
He never lied to me. He never promised me love. He only treated me kindly... and somehow my heart mistook kindness for something more.
He was the first person I trusted outside my broken family. The first person who made me forget my pain for a while. The first person I imagined a future with, even when I knew I shouldn't.
And now he was leaving.
I hugged my knees tightly to my chest and started to cry again, harder this time.
"Why... why did you come into my life if you were going to leave?" I whispered into the silence.
My heart was fighting with my mind.
My mind said: He did nothing wrong. He was only your friend.
But my heart screamed: Then why does it hurt like he broke me?
I felt guilty for crying when my parents were finally together. I felt selfish for feeling sad when my mother was smiling again. But I couldn't stop my tears.
I was standing between two worlds
One where my family was healing. One where my heart was shattering.
I wiped my face with trembling hands and looked around my room. Everything felt unfamiliar, like even the walls knew I was not the same Minnie anymore.
"This is not the end," I told myself softly. "But it feels like one."
My exams were coming. My dreams were waiting. My future was calling me. I had to be strong... even when I felt weak.
I lay my head on my knees, still sitting on the cold floor.
If love meant this much pain, then maybe I wasn't ready for it yet.
"I will focus on my career... I will focus on my goals," I whispered, like a promise to myself. "Even if my heart is bleeding."
My tears slowly dried. My eyes burned. My body felt heavy and tired.
On the cold floor of my room, with my back against the door and my heart full of silent pain, I finally closed my eyes.
That night, I didn't sleep on my bed.
I slept on the floor...holding my broken heart and my dreams at the same time.
__________________________________________
Author Note
Hello readers 👋 If you're enjoying the story, please support with Power Stones Your support helps this story grow.❤️💝☺️