The evening air was soft as they finished their meal. In the comfortable silence, Ariana voiced the question that had lingered between them. "Why don't you go home?"
Kian looked at her, his gray eyes unreadable for a moment. "Why didn't you go?" he countered gently.
"My aunt's place is too far," she explained. "And… I didn't want to be a burden anymore. I needed to prove I could be independent." She offered a small, proud smile. "I'm freelancing now. It's enough for the month. Your turn. Why didn't you go?"
He took a slow breath, the lightness of the evening settling into something heavier. "There's a big reason for that. I couldn't tell you for so long… I'll tell you today." 🎯
As he began to speak, his gaze drifted into the past. "Ariana… I'm an orphan." The words were quiet, but they landed with the force of a physical blow. "When I was six, my parents were trapped in a cycle of affairs. Our home wasn't a home;it was a battleground of shouting and fear. One night, it all shattered. My father… he killed my mother and the man she was with. He was taken to prison, and I was sent to an orphanage."
He paused, the memory a shadow in his eyes. "I grew up there for fourteen years. Mostly alone, just trying to survive the noise inside my own head. Studying was my only anchor. It's the only reason I'm here today." He finally looked at her, his expression raw and open. "I'm telling you this because… I trust you. So, you see, even if I get a leave, there's no home for me to go to."
A profound understanding settled over Ariana. They were two orphans, adrift in different ways, who had found a harbor in each other.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "I ruined this beautiful evening by bringing up your past." 😪
"It's okay," he said, his voice softening as he looked at her, truly looked at her, in the fading light. "You look even more beautiful today."
"You're just trying to change the subject," she murmured, a tearful smile touching her lips.
"No," he said, his gaze steady and sincere. "I really mean it." 🎉
They walked back to the dormitories in a silence that was deeper and more intimate than any conversation. In her room, the reality of his confession settled around her. Of the six beds, only hers was occupied. Her roommates;Sweety, Pearl, Saida, Nisha, and Sarah;were all home with their families.
A familiar loneliness whispered at the edges of her mind, but it was overshadowed by a new, aching connection to the boy in the neighboring dorm. He had given her his truth, his deepest scar. And in that sharing, the quiet of the empty room didn't feel isolating, but like a sacred space holding their shared secret, leading her into a deep and restful sleep. 🎁