I didn't wake up today hoping for anything.
Not a text.
Not an apology.
Not even effort.
Just… clarity.
The kind that hurts but makes everything make sense.
I lay still for a long moment, staring at the ceiling, realizing I couldn't keep doing this—waiting for someone who wasn't waiting for me. Wanting someone who didn't meet me halfway. Trying so hard for someone who barely seemed to notice anymore.
It wasn't a dramatic decision.
No tears.
No shaking hands.
Just a sad, tired acceptance settling over me.
Maybe it was time to let go of Kade.
At least in my heart.
---
Seeing him… and pretending not to
Campus was loud with end-of-semester energy. People rushing to finish assignments, dragging boxes, talking about going home. It felt like the world was moving forward without me.
And then… I saw him.
Kade.
Standing with his friends outside the sports center, laughing at something someone said. He looked relaxed, at ease, untouched by the things tearing me apart inside.
I felt that familiar pang in my chest.
Sharp. Immediate.
Like my heart already knew what my mind was still trying to accept.
I forced myself to keep walking.
I didn't look twice.
Didn't wait to see if he would notice.
Didn't slow down.
My steps were steady, but something inside me felt like it was cracking quietly.
--
I turned down the hallway toward my next class, and there he was — Denzel.
Standing by the bulletin board with Sarah, listening to her talk animatedly. He wasn't smiling, but his expression was soft, patient.
He looked up for the briefest moment.
Our eyes met.
And he gave me a small, distant wave — nothing heavy, nothing intense. Just acknowledgement.
Like he could see right through the tired expression I was trying to hide.
I lifted my hand slightly in return, offering a weak but genuine smile.
Sarah kept talking, and he turned back to her, but the moment stayed with me longer than it should have.
It didn't fill the ache in my chest, but it eased it enough for me to breathe.
---
Class felt heavier than usual
The lecture hall was half-empty. Everyone was tired, distracted, already halfway packed to go home. Papers shuffled, keyboards clicked, whispered conversations filled the room.
I sat near the back, staring at the board without really seeing anything.
My phone stayed silent on the table.
No message from Kade.
No effort.
No sign he even noticed the distance.
I tried to take notes, but my mind kept drifting.
To the laughter he shared with his friends.
To the cold replies.
To the small, quiet part of me finally giving up.
Letting go hurt.
But holding on was hurting more.
---
After class, I walked out and took the longer path back to the dorms, needing some quiet air.
Near the library steps, I heard someone say:
"Maya."
I turned.
Denzel.
He wasn't close enough to feel intimate, just a few steps away, hands in his pockets, looking at me with that calm, unreadable expression.
"You okay?" he asked, voice low but not distant.
I hesitated. "Trying to be."
He nodded like he understood more than my answer said. "A lot of people are packing today. It feels weird."
I almost smiled. "Yeah… it does."
For a moment, neither of us said anything. It wasn't uncomfortable. Just still.
Then he nodded slightly. "See you around."
"Yeah. See you."
He walked away to meet Sarah, and I continued toward the dorms with a strange feeling in my chest — not excitement, not confusion… just awareness.
---
When I reached the dorm, the hallway was full of boxes, half-packed suitcases, people calling their parents, music playing from open doors. It felt like the whole world was shifting toward the break.
Lily was on her bed sorting clothes, Ivy was folding towels, and Zoey was writing a packing list on her phone.
"Everyone's leaving," Lily sighed. "It doesn't feel real."
I sat quietly on my bed, watching them move around, feeling a little outside everything.
And as I listened to the noise around me — zippers, laughter, footsteps, chatter — something settled inside me:
I couldn't force what wasn't being given anymore.
Letting go of Kade wasn't a decision I wanted.
It was one my heart whispered because it couldn't take any more silence.