Maya spent the next few days in a haze, the reality of what had happened with Ivan settling heavily in her chest. She didn't know what to make of it. He had left her with more questions than answers, and now, every time she thought about him, her mind would wander back to Kian. The two of them were so tangled up in each other's lives, it was almost impossible to think of one without the other.
But today, everything felt different.
Maya had tried to shake off the feeling of Ivan's words, but they clung to her. The more she thought about it, the more it felt like he was right. There was something between them. But did that make it real? Did that mean they had some unspoken bond? Or was it just a fleeting moment of vulnerability that would pass with time?
The doorbell rang, snapping her out of her thoughts. Maya froze. She wasn't expecting anyone, but she knew deep down that it could only be one person.
When she opened the door, she found Kian standing there, his posture stiff and his expression unreadable. For a moment, neither of them spoke, and the silence between them felt thick, heavy with everything unsaid.
Maya stepped back, allowing him to enter. The space between them seemed wide, like an invisible wall had been built over the past few days, and now it was impossible to break through. Kian looked different, his usual confident air replaced with something quieter, something more uncertain.
"I didn't expect to see you," Maya said, trying to sound casual, but it was hard. Every word felt forced, unnatural. She had so many questions, but she didn't know where to start.
"I know," Kian replied, his voice soft, almost hesitant. "I've been thinking a lot about everything. About us."
Maya didn't know how to respond to that. The last time they had spoken, everything had been so... chaotic. It had felt like the world was falling apart, and she had no idea how to put it back together.
"So, what now?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "What are we doing, Kian? Because right now, I feel like we're just—"
Kian interrupted her, stepping closer. His eyes met hers, and there was a vulnerability in his gaze that Maya had never seen before. "I don't know," he admitted, his voice barely audible. "But I don't want to lose you. Not like this."
Maya swallowed, trying to steady herself. It was hard to reconcile the man standing in front of her with the one she had known. The Kian she had fallen for was full of confidence, sure of himself, and now... now he was different. Maybe it was the weight of everything that had happened, or maybe it was something else entirely, but the distance between them felt insurmountable.
"I don't want to lose you either," Maya said, her voice breaking. "But I don't know how to fix this. How do we go back to what we were?"
Kian looked down, his hands clenching at his sides. "I don't think we can," he said quietly. "But that doesn't mean it's over. We have to figure this out, Maya. Together."
Before she could respond, the sound of a car pulling up outside made them both freeze. Maya glanced at Kian, her heart racing. "Who's that?" she asked, her voice laced with unease.
Kian turned toward the window and frowned. "It's Ivan."
Maya's heart sank. Of course it was. She hadn't seen Ivan since their last encounter, but the thought of him standing on her doorstep made her skin crawl. How could she deal with both of them at once? How could she navigate the mess they had created?
"I didn't expect him to show up," Maya said, her voice strained. "I don't know if I'm ready to talk to him."
Kian's expression softened, and he reached out, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to talk to him if you don't want to," he said. "But we need to figure this out, Maya. All of it."
She nodded, her stomach twisting. "I don't know if I can handle this," she admitted, her voice shaking.
Before Kian could respond, the doorbell rang again, louder this time. Maya took a deep breath and walked to the door, her heart pounding in her chest. She hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do. But then she opened it, and there he was—Ivan, standing in the doorway, his gaze cool and unreadable as usual.
"I'm not here to argue," Ivan said, his tone calm but firm. "I'm here to talk."
Maya glanced back at Kian, who was standing just behind her, his eyes dark and filled with tension. The air between them was charged, thick with the unspoken. This wasn't just a conversation; this was a battle, and Maya had no idea how to navigate it.
Ivan stepped inside without waiting for an invitation, his presence filling the room. There was something about him that always made Maya feel small, like he could easily take control of any situation. And now, standing between Kian and Ivan, she felt like a pawn in their game, caught between two forces that were pulling her in different directions.
"I think it's time we had a real conversation," Ivan said, his voice cutting through the silence.
Kian's gaze flicked toward Ivan, and for a moment, Maya could see the tension between them—unspoken but undeniable. The two men had never gotten along, and now, standing in the same room, it was clear that whatever had been brewing beneath the surface had come to a head.
"About what?" Kian asked, his voice sharp.
"About everything," Ivan replied, his gaze steady. "About Maya, about what's been happening between the three of us."
Maya opened her mouth to speak, but the words didn't come. She wasn't sure if she was ready for this conversation, but at the same time, she knew it was inevitable. The truth was out there, and there was no hiding from it anymore.
"I'm not here to fight, Kian," Ivan said, his voice suddenly quieter. "I'm just here to make sure we're all on the same page."
Kian's eyes narrowed. "What's your game, Ivan?" he asked, his voice low, almost threatening.
Ivan didn't flinch. "My game?" he repeated, his lips curling into a small smile. "I don't have a game, Kian. I'm just trying to figure out what the hell is going on with us."
Maya watched as the two of them exchanged heated glares, the tension so thick it could be cut with a knife. She had never seen them like this—both so raw, so vulnerable. It was like everything they had been avoiding was suddenly spilling out, and neither of them knew how to stop it.
"I'm not going to pretend like this is easy," Kian said finally, breaking the silence. "But I need to know what you want, Ivan. Because I'm not going to share her with you, not like this."
Ivan's expression hardened, but he didn't back down. "I'm not asking for anything," he said, his voice firm. "I'm just saying, we all need to figure out what we want before things get worse."
Maya felt her heart race, the weight of their words pressing down on her. She didn't know what she wanted, not anymore. All she knew was that she was caught in the middle, and it was tearing her apart.
"I can't do this," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I can't keep going like this. It's too much."
And as the two men stood there, staring at her, Maya realized that she had no idea how to fix this. There was no easy answer, no quick solution. The only thing she knew for sure was that whatever happened next, it would change everything.