Whispers of the Past

Chapter Eleven - A Wish

THIRD PERSON'S POV:

"Why did you even promise me when you couldn't keep that?" Timothee mumbled to himself.

His friendship with Atiye had blossomed over the past months, yet a peculiar distance remained. He'd tried his best to draw her out of her introverted shell, but she kept herself largely confined to her room, almost like a self-imposed isolation. She started studing again, that thats too online. The strangest part? She still had no clue about his true identity, a fact that swung between amusement and exasperation for him. He also decided to keep a silent distance maintaining an unnoticable formality between them.

Meanwhile, Curtis and Jenevi, ever the power couple, navigated the choppy waters of their business partnership. Jenevi had joined Curtis in his family business, their synergy seeming effortless. Life flowed smoothly, or so it appeared, until fate served them a plate of unexpected lemons.

Atiye's world, on the other hand, was a tempestuous sea. Jenevi, her sister, stood before her, advocating for a trip with Timothee. "He's a good person, Atiye," Jenevi insisted, her voice laced with concern. "And a friend."

"But a trip! With a boy?!" Atiye protested, her voice tight with apprehension. The mere thought of venturing beyond her self-made walls triggered a primal fear. Jenevi, unaware of the deeper trauma inflicted by his brother, attributed her fear to past abuse.

"Atiye," Jenevi pressed, her hand warm on Atiye's shoulder. "You haven't stepped outside in six months! Do you even remember what sunshine feels like? Trust me, this trip will refresh your mind, open your eyes. Mom and Xav can't hurt you anymore. You're free, Atiye."

Silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken truths. Should Atiye reveal the secret, the source of her true terror? The mere thought sent shivers down her spine.

Taking a deep, shaky breath,"Okay," she whispered, the word tasting foreign on her tongue. "Tell Timothee. I'll go."

Jenevi engulfed her in a hug, her voice thick with emotion. "You won't regret this, sis."

Atiye offered a wan smile, her heart echoing a silent plea, "I wish I don't."

Across town, Timothee was planning his escape to Mexico, a long-overdue trip with Curtis. But fate, a mischievous puppeteer, had other plans. Curtis, swamped with work, thrust a different kind of adventure upon him: take Atiye on the trip.

Timothee hesitated. He'd been deliberately distancing himself, the ghost of Amaya haunting his interactions with Atiye. He didn't want to burden her with his emotional baggage. Yet, here she was, thrust into his path once more.

"I wish I don't regret this," he echoed without knowing Atiye's unspoken fear, the words hanging heavy in the air. The lines between friendship, attraction, and the ghosts of the past were about to blur, and their journey, both physical and emotional, was about to begin.