Ella and Jane were having the time of their lives. The weight off her chest was liberating. For so long, Ella had felt like she was carrying a burden, but now, it was gone. In the end, all she had ever sought from her parents was love. It seemed so simple, yet so elusive for years. The thought that they loved her didn’t undo all the trauma she had been through, but it satisfied her in a way she hadn’t expected. It was a small, but important step forward in her journey of healing.
“I’m so glad we went,” Ella said out of the blue. Her voice, light and carefree, drew Jane’s attention back to the moment. But Jane couldn’t help but wonder why Ella suddenly wished to go there. There hadn’t been any prior conversation about this trip, and yet, Ella seemed so at ease. Jane wasn’t dull; she could put two and two together. Ella had clearly been holding onto something, and now it seemed to be releasing her, just like it had for Jane.
Ella’s presence was comforting, but Jane couldn’t shake the feeling of isolation that seemed to be creeping in. It wasn’t that she minded Ella and Kyle getting closer. She understood it, in fact. What she couldn’t stand was the creeping sense that she was being left out. It almost felt like she was an outsider, a spectator in her friend’s life—a life that she was beginning to notice more and more was moving on without her.
She had been so focused on Kyle, so consumed with her relationship with him, that she hadn’t realized Ella would inevitably back off, stepping away to give them space to enjoy each other’s company. But Ella was a musician too, someone who worked closely with Kyle, which meant that she would be seeing a lot more of him—at work, at rehearsals, maybe even outside of work. It was a reality Jane hadn’t fully processed until now.
She began to wonder if maybe she wasn’t ambitious enough. Why was she so content working a mediocre job, barely making ends meet while others around her seemed to have big dreams? There was nothing wrong with that kind of life, of course, but something deep inside her told her it wasn’t enough.
She began to question herself: What if Kyle wanted a woman with more ambition? What if this whole relationship, this bond, was nothing more than a temporary distraction for him? What if he’d eventually get bored with her?
The reality of it all began to dawn on Jane, and she couldn’t ignore it.
“Earth to Jane…” Ella’s voice broke through her thoughts, noticing how far Jane’s mind had wandered.
“Sorry,” Jane apologized, offering a distracted smile. Ella, however, was more concerned about what was going on in Jane’s mind.
“Where did you go?” Ella asked, her gaze softening with concern. Jane tried her best to act as if it didn’t bother her, but she was never any good at lying.
“I don’t know…” Jane responded, avoiding Ella’s eyes. But Ella knew her too well. She could see right through her facade.
“You know… Kyle couldn’t stop talking about you last night,” Ella said with a sigh.
“He went on and on to the point where I was ready to throw myself out the window to escape it.” Ella’s light-hearted tone didn’t fool Jane. She could tell her friend was more than a little irritated. But when she saw the surprised look on Jane’s face, her anxious expression shifting into one of curiosity, Ella couldn’t help but chuckle.
“H-He did?” Jane asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Yeah, he kept saying how much he wished you were the one there instead of me,” Ella said, rolling her eyes in mock exasperation. Jane’s face immediately transformed from surprise to something else—something soft, something happy.
The funny thing about all this was, Ella wasn’t making it up. This was exactly what Kyle had been talking about until she fell asleep. Ella could still remember how uncomfortable the couch had been due to Kyle’s constant whining.
“He is such a strange man,” Jane muttered under her breath, her cheeks flushing red as she glanced away.
“Yup!” Ella replied. Ella left out a few key details—like why Kyle had come into her room and gotten into bed with her that night. Or the fact that he smelled like Cleopatra’s signature perfume. She figured those were things better left unspoken for now.
Ella had her suspicions, but she wasn’t ready to share them. She was fairly certain that Kyle had his reasons for whatever happened between them, and part of her felt like it was connected to Cleopatra.
“You said you had a new friend. Can you tell me about her?” Jane asked, breaking through Ella’s musings.
Ella immediately realized what had been bothering Jane. The concern in her voice was unmistakable. She knew this question wasn’t just curiosity—it was more.
Ella had no problems telling Jane about Calista. She trusted her, and she knew Jane would be able to handle the truth, no matter how complicated it might be.
“She’s a friend, and I’ve told you a lot about her already,” Ella said. Your next journey awaits at My Virtual Library Empire
“She’s an actress, and she goes by the name of Calista.” Ella added.
The moment Ella mentioned her name, Jane froze. She hadn’t expected that.
She expected something, but not this.
“Calista?” Jane repeated, her voice tinged with disbelief. This wasn’t a name you heard every day, and it was too rare for it to be a coincidence.
“Yes, why does it sound like you know her?” Ella asked with a laugh, trying to lighten the mood.
“Ah! No, that isn’t it,” Jane quickly corrected.
“Someone by that name called Kyle’s phone earlier.” Jane added to which Ella’s chuckle died.
“Look at you, snooping around his phone already,” Ella teased, though the playful edge was gone from her voice.
“No, that isn’t it,” Jane shot back, defensive but calm.
“He told me to answer it for him.” It was the truth, and something about that cleared Kyle of suspicion. If he was having an affair with Calista, there was no way he would have let Jane answer the phone.
“I guess that clears him,” Ella murmured thoughtfully. It was a brilliant move on Kyle’s part, a way to remove all suspicion while simultaneously building trust between him and Jane.
“Calista… have you seen her before?” Ella asked, her voice low and careful. She was beginning to connect dots in her mind.
Ella had watched Calista’s concern when they were all together, and her instincts told her that this woman wasn’t just a passing figure in their lives.
There was something more, and Ella was beginning to see it.
“No, I haven’t, but I have heard her voice,” Jane responded, still mulling over the possibilities in her mind. Ella took out her phone without a word.
“What are you doing?” Jane asked, a little alarmed. It was rude to suddenly pull out your phone in the middle of a conversation without warning.
“I want to call her, but I’ll put it on speaker,” Ella said, her expression serious.
“I want you to tell me if that’s the same voice.” Ella requested as she began to dial the number.
Jane hesitated. This wasn’t necessary, was it? Still, Ella was determined. Jane sighed, realizing it was pointless to protest. If this was something that mattered to her friend, then she’d let her have her way.
Ella dialed Calista’s number, but there was no answer after a few rings. Jane wasn’t surprised—most people didn’t pick up the phone right away, especially when they were busy. Still, it would’ve been nice to confirm everything.
“She’s not picking up,” Ella observed, her disappointment evident.
“I guess that’s that,” Jane said with a small smile, relieved, though she wasn’t entirely sure why. Her gaze shifted toward the counter where Ella had placed the containers with her parents’ ashes. It was a small but significant detail in the room, and it reminded Jane of how far they had come, even if the journey wasn’t over yet.
“How about we go pay her a visit?” Ella suggested, her voice light but curious.
“…Or how about we just enjoy our time together without involving a third party?” Jane suggested. She wasn’t jealous, not really, but this whole situation felt like it was getting a bit too complicated.
“Are you jealous?” Ella asked, raising an eyebrow, a smug look on her face.
“Oh, please,” Jane responded, crossing her arms in mock indignation.
“If she knew you like I did, she’d order an exorcism.” Jane added.
“Hahaha! You sound just like him!” Ella pointed out, laughter bubbling up.
Jane had spent enough time with Kyle to adopt some of his quirks. It wasn’t intentional, but it happened. And honestly, she didn’t mind.
“I’m starving. Let’s go eat,” Ella said quickly, changing the subject before Jane could respond.
“What do you want me to cook?” Jane asked.
“Cook? You thought Kyle was the only one I was going to take out? Girl, please,” Ella laughed, shaking her head.
Ella was already looking into a new apartment, determined to move out of this place. She wanted to find somewhere they could start fresh—away from the trauma this house held.
“Has he spoken about it?” Ella asked suddenly, her voice low and serious.
“Spoken about what?” Jane responded, brows furrowed.
“Mike—or should I say Clarence?” Ella asked, watching Jane’s face carefully.
As soon as the name left Ella’s lips, Jane’s expression dropped. Her gaze shifted downward in shame. Ella had warned her there was something off about him. But Jane had chosen to ignore those warnings, convinced Mike’s lies were the truth. She knew better now.
“He hasn’t spoken about it,” Jane said quietly, “but I don’t think he ever will.”
“He will,” Ella said firmly.
“And when he does, you will be there to listen.” Ella added.