I ring the doorbell for the third time, sighing deeply as the gift bag in my hand tangles with my fingers. My patience is thinning, but I know she's in there.
I shift my weight from one foot to the other, glancing at my phone for distractions, but before I can do anything, the door finally swings open.
"Hey, Helen."
It's not Selena. Instead, Catherina, her aunt, stands there with a warm smile tugging at her lips. The scent of vanilla and fresh linen drifts from inside, a familiar welcome.
"Hi, Aunt Catherina." I return the smile as I step inside.
"We don't see you around here anymore." She shuts the door behind me.
I chuckle softly. "It's you we don't see anymore. Selena told me about the promotion." My voice rises slightly with excitement for her.
Catherina grins, rubbing the back of her neck. "Girl, this tour guide role is killing me, but I love it."
I smirk, adjusting the strap of my bag. "Maybe I should consider it as a career."
She raises a brow, crossing her arms playfully. "Well, you do have an aunt with connections." She winks, making me laugh.
As my eyes scan the room, I finally ask, "By the way, where's Selena?"
Catherina gives me a knowing look. "She didn't tell you? Neo's in town."
My eyebrows shoot up. "Really?"
"We don't see her at home anymore. You know how she gets when he's around." She mockingly rolls her eyes.
I suppress a smile. Selena is a lover girl, through and through.
"I heard she went to see him off at the airport today." Catherina gestures toward her laptop, already slipping back into her work.
Something twists in my chest. I grab my phone immediately, clicking on Selena's account.
She blogs everything,
if she had Neo in town, there's no way she wouldn't have posted about it.
I've been so distracted lately. Scrolling through her posts, I see them all the dates, the late-night food runs, the beach day, the cozy café photos. They look so in love.
I click through each one, my heart tightening with every grin they share. Still, I leave comments under the posts, pretending it doesn't sting.
The front door swings open suddenly, breaking my focus.
Selena.
She's holding a few shopping bags, phone in her other hand, already recording something for her blog. She doesn't notice me at first.
Then, she does.
Our eyes lock.
I swallow, flashing a nervous smile, but she freezes, her face a mix of shock and something else, something unreadable.
She grips the handles of her bags tighter and moves to walk past me, but Catherina's voice stops her.
"Selena, you okay?" Her aunt's tone is laced with concern.
"Yeah," Selena says quickly, adjusting the gift bag in her grip. She doesn't look at me.
I clear my throat.
"Hey, Selena." My voice comes out softer than I expect.
She ignores me, looking away.
"I'm really sorry," I manage to say, my throat tightening.
Her lips press together. Then, finally, she speaks.
"You just left me at the karaoke. Do you know how that felt?" Her voice is calm, but the weight of her words hits me like a brick.
Guilt spreads through me. I don't say anything.
"I don't feel regarded in this."
Her voice is firmer now, but not angry,
just…hurt.
Catherina glances between us, sensing the tension. "Are you two okay?"
I open my mouth, but the words feel heavy. Still, I force them out.
"I don't deserve her." I exhale, shaking my head.
"She's been nothing but good to me, and I feel sorry about it all."
Catherina looks at me softly, then at Selena, as if silently urging her to listen.
Selena's gaze flickers to me again. This time, there's no sharpness in her eyes, only something softer, hesitation.
I extend the gift bag toward her. "I got this for you."
She hesitates before taking it, placing her other bags on the couch. She peeks inside, and I watch as her lips slowly curve into a small, familiar smile.
"You know the way to my heart," she murmurs, sniffing the plastic-wrapped flower I got her before reading the card.
I let out a quiet sigh of relief.
She glances up at me again, playfulness returning to her eyes. "You know I can't stay mad at you for long." She reaches for my wrist, tugging me toward her. "Come on, let's go up to my room."
I hear Catherina laugh behind us as Selena leads me away,
I watch Selena drop all the gifts bag on the bed,
"I hear Neo was around," I say as I collapse onto the bed, feeling the exhaustion of the day settle into my bones.
Selena, still basking in the afterglow of his visit, lets out a dreamy sigh.
"Yeah, we had the best time of our lives, but it was so short." She pouts, her fingers absentmindedly tracing the edges of a newly unwrapped gift box.
I shift slightly, watching her expression, before letting out a soft sigh.
"I can imagine. Sadly, I didn't get invited this time," I say, a hint of disappointment lacing my voice.
Selena glances at me, her lips twitching into a knowing smile. "Well…" She gives me a look, one I immediately understand.
I roll my eyes. "Let me guess. He asked about me, didn't he?"
Selena nods.
"A lot," she confirms, stretching her legs out on the bed. "But I did send Dom your way, though."
I freeze for a split second at the mention of his name, a tension creeping up my spine.
"Oh." My voice is deliberately neutral as I reach out, grabbing one of the gifts beside her, desperate to redirect the conversation.
"Neo got you these?" I ask, holding up a stunning gown, my fingers grazing the delicate fabric. "It's beautiful."
Selena smiles, clearly pleased. "Just my size. He says that when he comes back, he wants to take me somewhere special."
She rummages through the rest of the gifts, pulling out perfume bottles and carefully placing them among the rest of her collection.
The scent of floral and musk lingers in the air, but it does little to distract me from the weight sitting heavily on my chest.
Selena must sense it too because, after a moment, she turns to me and places a gentle hand on my arm. "You don't look so well, Helen."
I exhale slowly, as if trying to push out the unease suffocating me from the inside. "I don't feel well, Sel. I really don't," I admit, my voice barely above a whisper.
She moves closer, letting me rest my head against her shoulder. The warmth of her presence is comforting, but it doesn't dissolve the turmoil building inside me.
"How do I feel good?" I murmur, my voice breaking. "He's my brother, Sel."
Selena says nothing, but her hand finds its way to my hair, running through the strands in slow, soothing strokes.
"And I can't seem to take him off my mind," I continue, my chest tightening with every word. "How do I do that? How do I just…stop?" My voice shakes as I force the words out, the emotions threatening to consume me whole.
Selena sighs, her hand never pausing in its rhythmic movement. "I feel so guilty for leaving you all by yourself."
"It's not you," I say quickly, sitting up slightly to look at her. "I've been a bad friend too."
She shakes her head, but I don't let her argue. Instead, I straighten my back, bracing myself for what I'm about to say next.
"I need to be in that courtroom, Sel."
The words hang in the air like a loaded gun.
Selena pulls back, looking at me with furrowed brows. "Helen… you know your parents would never allow that."
"I know," I say firmly. "I do know. That's why I need you to speak to the lawyer. He's closer to you than he is to me. You have to help me make this happen."
Selena studies me for a long moment, her expression softening. "I need this, Sel. I really do," I plead, my voice quieter now.
She places her hand on my lap, squeezing lightly. "I totally get you. I do." She nods, but the concern in her eyes lingers.
"How's your family taking the news?" she asks after a beat of silence.
I scoff, shaking my head. "Mom wants to use me as a middleman to meet with Dan."
Selena's face twists in disbelief. "What? That's cruel," she says, her voice rising in indignation.
"And they want me to see a ther…a…" My voice falters, the word getting caught in my throat.
"A therapist," Selena finishes for me.
I nod, exhaling shakily. "Like, someone I don't even know. They expect me to just open up?"
Selena takes a deep breath, her gaze thoughtful.
"That doesn't sound so bad, though," she admits. "But with everything else going on, it's a lot for you to process all at once."
I let out a bitter chuckle. "Guess what? I'll be getting a new driver too."
"Hell no," Selena gasps, staring at me wide-eyed.
"And Dan isn't even helping matters," I add tiredly, rubbing my temples. "He's so unbothered. Like this whole thing doesn't even affect him."
"Typical Dan," Selena mutters, rolling her eyes.
I lean my head against her shoulder again, seeking comfort in her presence.
My voice is small when I finally ask,
"Do you think I'll survive this?"