Julia – POV
I ran.
Past the garden, past the fence—up toward the hill where the old mining pit sat like a forgotten monument. The wind whipped at my face, mixing with the tears I didn't bother wiping away. My lungs burned, my legs trembled, but I didn't stop until I crested the hill and collapsed onto the grass, hidden by the tall reeds and the silence of the abandoned world around me.
I hugged my knees to my chest. My heart was still racing—not just from running but from everything.
Their voices still echoed in my head. The look in Antwan's eyes. The way Tyler stepped in front of me, so protective. The rawness in both of their stares. And the question that tore everything open:
"Who do you want, Julia?"
I thought I could answer.
I thought I could be stronger than this.
But I wasn't. Because the truth wasn't simple. It wasn't neat. And it damn sure wasn't fair.
I loved how safe Tyler made me feel. How he looked at me like I was worth loving, even when I hated myself. The way he saw through my sarcasm and walls like they were made of glass. I'd never felt more desired—or more seen.
But Antwan? He was kindness and steadiness and a light in the storm. He made me laugh when I didn't think I could. He reminded me of who I was before everything got so complicated. And I trusted him with a softness I didn't offer anyone else.
How could I choose between them without breaking myself?
I pulled out my phone with shaking hands and called the one person I knew wouldn't judge me for any of this.
"Camila?" I said, voice cracking.
"Jules? Are you okay?"
"No. I'm at the hill. I need you."
"I'm coming."
And just hearing that—knowing someone was coming for me—was enough to make me cry all over again.
But this time, I wasn't alone.
Camila – POV
I stared at my phone for the fifth time in an hour, fingers twitching to text Anthony. But I didn't. Not after everything. Not when my heart still clenched every time I replayed that night in my mind.
Instead, I tried distracting myself with the silence of my room—until my phone rang.
Julia.
Her voice cracked before she even said hello.
"I messed everything up," she sobbed. "I—I didn't know where else to go. I'm at the hill… you know, the one behind the mining pit."
She didn't have to explain. I knew exactly where she was. That hill was infamous—for heartbreak, for drunken mistakes, for whispered secrets that never healed. It was the place you went when you needed to fall apart.
"I'm coming," I said without hesitation.
I didn't even bother changing out of my hoodie and shorts. I grabbed my keys and ran.
The sky was dimming when I reached her. She was sitting at the top of the hill, knees pulled to her chest, arms wrapped tight. Her cheeks were blotched red, and tears streaked down to her chin.
The moment she saw me, she burst into a fresh round of sobs.
"I can't do this," she whispered as I knelt beside her. "I can't be what either of them needs. I've ruined everything."
I pulled her into my arms and held her, her body trembling against mine.
Then my phone rang.
Tyler.
Julia stiffened immediately. Her eyes widened, frantic, silently begging me not to answer.
I picked up.
"Hey, Camila—have you seen Julia? She ran off after… everything."
I swallowed. Glanced at her curled form beside me. She shook her head slowly, tears falling again.
"No," I said. "I haven't seen her."
A pause.
"Alright… if you hear anything—" Tyler's voice cracked, "—just let me know. Please."
"I will," I whispered, and hung up.
Julia clung to me tighter. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so stupid. I told them I wouldn't choose because I can't. And now I've probably lost them both."
"You haven't," I said, brushing her hair from her forehead.
She shook her head. "I'm too much. Too broken. Tyler deserves someone strong. Antwan deserves someone sure. And I'm neither."
"You're you," I said. "And that's enough."
We sat there for hours ,letting her cry letting her vent her emotions
She cried until her sobs softened into hiccups. I helped her down the hill, her body sagging from emotional exhaustion. The ride home was quiet, save for her quiet sniffles. When we got to my place, I tucked her in gently like a child, brushing her hair away from her damp cheeks.
Once she finally fell asleep, I stepped into the hallway and pulled out my phone.
Camila (text): She's safe. Please go home. Both of you. She just needs rest.
Tyler replied almost instantly.
Tyler (text): thanks are your sure where is she?. Anthony's with us. He showed up with some girl, but he helped look too. We're heading back now. Are you sure she is OK
Anthony. My thumb hovered over his name. I didn't type anything.
I stared at Julia's , heart heavy with all of it.
So many feelings. So many choices.
And none of it simple.
Had he moved on so easily already? I was a fool to had had believed him and let him in.