Just honesty, delivered plainly. Maya didn’t know what to say. But she found herself reaching out, her hand brushing his. “You don’t have to carry that alone,” she said. And he looked at her like he’d been waiting to hear that for a long time.
The following weeks brought a quiet shift. Aiden began missing their usual meetups. His texts became shorter, sometimes delayed by hours. When they did see each other, he looked pale. Tired. His laughter didn’t reach as far, and his hands trembled slightly when he thought she wasn’t looking.