The morning air was crisp, the sky a soft blue as Eddie's car rolled to a stop in front of the modest house where Maya had spent the night. It wasn't far from where he lived, but everything felt distant—the events of the past few days stretching endlessly behind them. His hands gripped the steering wheel a little tighter as he parked, the weight of responsibility pressing down on him. He hadn't heard from her all morning, and the silence felt unnerving.
He glanced toward the house—simple, quiet. His eyes lingered on the worn-out front steps, where he could imagine her standing, staring out at the world from behind a wall she didn't know how to tear down.
The door to the house opened slightly, and Maya's grandmother stood there, watching him as he approached. Her expression was calm, but Eddie could see the worry in her eyes. She had been worried about Maya. Eddie couldn't blame her for that.
She stepped aside as he approached, nodding toward the stairs. "She's upstairs, Eddie. She hasn't said much. But she's awake."
"Thanks," Eddie murmured, stepping past her into the house.
The quiet inside hit him first, the kind of silence that felt like it was settling into the walls. It wasn't the comforting quiet of a home, but the kind that felt oppressive. He moved up the stairs without a sound, his footsteps soft but determined.
He knocked gently on Maya's bedroom door.
"Maya?" His voice was low, a little hesitant. "You ready to go?"
There was a pause before he heard the faint rustling from inside.
"I'm coming," came her soft reply.
The door creaked open slowly, and Maya stepped into view. She was wearing an oversized sweater, her hair falling messily around her face, and her eyes—eyes that had seen too much—met his for a brief moment before she looked away. Eddie noticed how she still seemed to shrink in on herself, like she was trying to hide from the world, even here.
Her eyes were heavy, the bags under them dark and deep, as though sleep hadn't come easily. His stomach twisted. He hated seeing her like this, hated that there was nothing he could do to erase the pain she'd been through.
"Hey," he said softly, his gaze searching hers. "You okay?"
Maya didn't immediately respond. Instead, she looked at the floor, her fingers nervously fiddling with the hem of her sweater. The silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating.
"I guess," she said, her voice sounding hoarse, as if she hadn't spoken much in the past few days. "It's just… it's hard to feel okay after everything."
Eddie's heart clenched at her words. He wanted to say something—something reassuring, something that would make it all feel less heavy—but the words caught in his throat. Instead, he stepped closer, a small but comforting presence in her quiet room.
"You don't have to feel okay, Maya," Eddie replied, his voice gentle but firm. "You just have to keep going. One step at a time, that's all I'm asking. And I'm here for every step. You don't have to do this alone."
Her eyes flicked up to his then, and for a second, Eddie saw something—something behind the wall she'd built. It was a flicker of trust, however small, and it made him hold his breath for a moment.
She didn't say anything, but she nodded, almost imperceptibly. Eddie could see the weight of her emotions, but she was still fighting it. Still holding on.
"I'll grab my stuff," Maya muttered, breaking the silence. She turned and walked to the bed, where a bag lay slung haphazardly on the edge. Eddie stood in the doorway, watching her with a mixture of concern and frustration. It wasn't enough, any of it. She wasn't ready for this, wasn't ready to face the world outside this house. But the world would keep turning, whether she was ready or not.
She came back a moment later, her bag in hand. The tension in the room had thickened, but there was a quiet resolve in her movements. She wasn't completely broken, not yet.
"Ready to go?" Eddie asked, his tone carefully neutral.
Maya didn't respond immediately, but as she passed him toward the stairs, she whispered, "I don't know what I'm supposed to feel anymore."
"You don't have to figure that out right now," Eddie said, his voice low but steady. "All I need from you is to come with me. We'll get through it together."
She gave him a small, almost imperceptible nod, but there was something in her eyes—something that made Eddie feel like she wasn't as far away as she seemed. He followed her downstairs, trying not to make it feel too much like a mission, but he could tell she was still fragile. Still holding pieces of herself together with threads.
When they reached the front door, Maya's grandmother was standing in the living room, a soft expression on her face. She didn't say anything, just gave Maya a gentle squeeze on the shoulder, as if silently telling her everything would be okay.
Eddie didn't say anything either, just gave her a look of quiet gratitude before he turned back to Maya. She wasn't looking at him, her gaze fixed on the floor, her shoulders still hunched as if she were trying to disappear.
He stepped outside first, holding the door open for her. "Let's get out of here," he said quietly.
Maya didn't respond. She didn't need to. She just stepped outside, the cool air hitting her face like a sudden shock.
Eddie made sure she was settled in the car before he slid into the driver's seat. The engine hummed to life, and they began to drive. For a while, the only sound was the tires on the road, the occasional hum of a passing car. Eddie kept his eyes on the road, his grip tight on the steering wheel, but his mind was constantly drifting back to Maya.
She was so quiet. So withdrawn.
"Maya…" Eddie's voice was softer this time. "You want to go anywhere? Get something to eat or just drive for a while?"
Maya turned her head slightly, glancing out the window, her face expressionless. "No. I just want to get away from everything. From everyone."
Eddie's chest tightened, but he didn't press her. Instead, he nodded. "Okay. We'll just drive then."
The next hour passed slowly, the road stretching endlessly in front of them. Eddie stole glances at Maya occasionally, but she was staring out the window, lost in thought. It hurt him to see her like this, but he didn't know how to pull her out of it.
"Whenever you're ready, we'll stop," Eddie said, his voice still steady, still calm. "Just… don't shut me out, okay?"
Maya didn't answer, but he could see the way her fingers gripped the edge of the seat, like she was trying to hold onto something, anything. He wanted to reach out, to say more, but he knew that right now, words wouldn't fix it.
After what felt like an eternity, she finally turned toward him, her voice barely above a whisper. "Eddie… am I ever going to feel okay again?"
He met her gaze, and in that moment, he knew there was no quick fix. There was no way to just make it better. But he would keep her going. He would be her anchor.
"You will," Eddie said softly, his voice unwavering. "One day at a time, I'll make sure of it."
They drove in silence after that, the weight of the unspoken words pressing between them, but in that moment, Eddie knew they were both just trying to breathe.