Mira’s heart sank as she looked at him. He lied without a second thought. She had known him for thirteen years, yet at this moment, he seemed like a stranger. Her eyes were cold as she glanced at the dishes, her stomach twisting painfully.
"I’ve already eaten," she replied flatly, her voice betraying nothing of the turmoil raging inside her.
"It's such a waste to throw it away..." Elias muttered as he placed the lunch box in the refrigerator. "I'll heat it up tomorrow."
Mira said nothing, silently watching his back as he turned away. The tension in the air was palpable, but she kept her thoughts to herself.
After they finished washing up, the two of them climbed into bed, agreeing to visit their high school alma mater together the next day.
But at two o'clock in the morning, Mira woke to find the space beside her empty. The bathroom door was slightly ajar.
She quietly lifted the quilt and stepped out of bed, her footsteps soft as she approached the bathroom. Inside, Elias' voice carried through the door.
"Be good, go to bed early, alright? Don't dwell on unhappy things. And... I’ll treat today’s kiss as a moment of confusion, impulsiveness. There won’t be another time."
The soft, feminine voice that responded sent a chill through Mira. "I’m just rehearsing for the wedding kiss. Elias, I know you only feel sympathy and pity for me. If that's the case, why can’t you accept my kiss for what it is? After all, the wedding is just a formality."
"You girl..." Elias laughed, but there was a trace of helplessness in his tone. "Are you going to sleep or not? Aren’t you worried about getting acne with all this stress?"
The girl’s voice became more playful. "Just five more minutes, let’s talk a little longer?"
"Okay... You’re so difficult," he chuckled.
His voice was laced with infinite tolerance, with a hint of pampering that twisted the knife deeper into Mira’s heart. The words felt like sharp thorns, each one more suffocating than the last. Her chest tightened as if a dark net had coiled around her, choking her breath.
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the window, but the warmth of the day couldn't reach her heart. Elias went downstairs with the car keys, carrying two boxes of fruit and nuts in his hands, prepared to give them to their high school class teacher.
Half an hour into the drive, his phone rang.
Mira glanced at the caller ID.
— Vera.