Ian didn't shout.
That was what scared Janice the most.
He simply stood there, eyes locked on the guy across the street.
"You said you wanted five minutes," Ian said evenly. "So talk."
Mia wiped her tears angrily. "No more lies. Just tell the truth."
The guy ran a hand through his hair. For the first time, he didn't look confident.
"I messed up," he admitted. "But not the way you think."
Mia laughed bitterly. "There's always a 'not the way you think.'"
He exhaled. "I was angry. You weren't replying to me. I thought you were ignoring me."
"So you decided to scare me?" Mia shot back.
His eyes flickered.
"I came to talk. That's it."
Janice felt something wasn't right. There was still something he wasn't saying.
Ian noticed too. "You're leaving something out."
Silence.
Then—
"I texted someone," he said quietly.
Mia's face went pale. "Who?"
He hesitated… then looked straight at Janice.
"You."
Janice felt like the ground dropped under her feet.
"It was one message," he said quickly. "I asked if Mia was okay. She didn't reply."
Mia turned to Janice, hurt flashing across her face. "You didn't tell me?"
Janice shook her head. "Because it meant nothing. I ignored it."
Ian's jaw tightened slightly. "When was this?"
"Last week," Janice whispered.
The night air felt colder.
Ian didn't look angry.
He looked… disappointed.
And that felt worse.
"I just thought," he said slowly, "we told each other everything."
Janice's heart began to pound.
The real earthquake wasn't the guy standing outside Mia's house.
It was the tiny crack forming between her and Ian.
And this time…
No one was prepared
Trust slowly cracking