Page 71 of Never Enough

“Dammit, Daphne.” The frustration is clear, but behind it, there’s love. Love that refuses to let me succumb to the night that beckons seductively from within. Eden may not understand the depths of my anguish, but she understands the language of the heart, the unspoken symphony of friendship that plays between us—a cello accompanying a harp in a melancholic duet.

Although she agrees reluctantly, I can hear the unspoken vow in her voice when she says, “Tomorrow.” She will return, and she will fight for me, tooth and nail, until I find the courage to fight for myself again.

Tomorrow comes too quickly.

“Despite the chill of the room, the numbness that has taken over my body and mind has made it a distant thought. That is until there’s a rush of cold air as Eden yanks the blankets off me. Before I can even curl into myself for warmth, her hands are on my ankles, pulling hard. My back hits the floor with a thud that rattles through me, and pain spikes at the base of my skull.

“Oh my God, are you okay? I’m so sorry.” Eden’s voice is high with panic, her green eyes wide as she hovers above me.

“Fine,” I mumble, despite the jarring sensation in every vertebra, my head throbbing in sync with my erratic heartbeat.

Suddenly, the door bangs against the wall, and Victoria stands there, lip plumper glossing her frown and dark hair framing her face like she’s the harbinger of some twisted news. “Jesus, what happened?”

“Accident,” Eden explains quickly, but Victoria’s brown eyes are locked on mine, reading the wreckage strewn across my features.

“You’re depressed too? Alex won’t get out of bed either.” There’s a note of accusation in Victoria’s tone as if my sorrow hassomehow infected her brother, as if I’m the carrier of a heartache disease.

I press my palm against the back of my head, the dull ache a reminder that I am, despite everything, painfully alive. In a whispered admission that feels like betrayal, all I manage to say is, “Yeah.” Because it’s not just depression; it’s the crushing weight of love lost, the hollow space where hope used to live.

“Typical,” Victoria mutters under her breath, but her gaze doesn’t leave mine, searching for something I can’t give—an explanation, a solution, absolution. I can’t hold her stare, the intensity too much when I’m this broken, so I let my eyes close, shutting her and everything out.

She adds, almost to herself, “Should’ve figured.” I can sense the judgment, with the unspoken blame, that hangs heavy in the air between us. It’s easier to think I’m the cause of Alex’s pain than to admit that he’s got his own demons to fight—demons I’ve touched but never tamed.

Eden’s footsteps fade down the hallway, a soft retreat from the charged atmosphere of my room. My heart drums unevenly against my ribcage as Victoria stands sentinel by the door, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

“Promise me you’ll look out for Alex,” I murmur without meeting her gaze. I trace the pattern on my comforter, lost in its intricacies—anything to avoid the scrutiny of Victoria’s stare.

“Why?” Her voice is flat, suspicious. “What aren’t you saying, Daphne?”

To answer her question, I shrug, a noncommittal gesture that does nothing to ease the tension coiling in the air. “Just worried, I guess. You know, depression blues seem to be going around campus.” It’s a feeble excuse and we both know it, but I can’t bring myself to explain.

“Depression blues, huh?” Victoria huffs, not buying it for a second, but before she can press further, Celeste’s voice, like nails on a chalkboard, pierces through the quiet.

“Alex is depressed because he hasn’t gotten back together with me yet,” Celeste announces from the doorway. She leans against the frame, all exaggerated curves and pouting lips, a vision of self-assured vanity. “I’ll just go see him and tell him I’ll take him back. That’ll cheer him up.”

The words sting, a venomous bite, and something breaks within me—a dam giving way to a flood of unwanted emotions. Though my face remains an impassive mask, it betrays none of the turmoil that thrashes inside.

“Then do that,” I say quietly, my voice barely above a whisper. “If that’s what makes him happy.” It’s all I ever wanted for him.

Celeste’s laughter trills through the room. “Oh, I will.” She tosses her hair over her shoulder, a cascade of false gold, and struts away with the confidence of someone who believes she holds all the cards.

“Victoria…” I start, but the plea dies in my throat. What am I asking for? Validation? A reprieve? I’m not even sure anymore.

She doesn’t wait for me to finish, already following in Celeste’s wake, leaving me alone with the echo of their departure and the bitter taste of helplessness.

Alone once again, I trace the cool rim of the glass Eden brought. Only, I don’t drink, just savor the sensation, feeling detached from the gesture.

Celeste’s parting words still resonate in the stale air of my room, mocking me. If she can coax a smile onto his face, if she can mend even a sliver of his heart, then good for them.

I know that I’ll survive this episode. I always do. Except I’m not just mourning my relationship

with Alex, but his friendship too. Obviously, I’m cutting him off completely because I can’t take Victoria and Celeste’s bullying anymore either. He won’t have to bear the burden of guilt for not loving me, nor because his girlfriend and sister hateme so much.

In my own way, that’s how I’ll love him from afar. I’ll keep the women in his life at bay by avoiding any and all interaction. Realistically, I know that I’ll have to change suites. I’d rather get a full-time job, get an apartment off campus despite my scholarship paying for room and board, than crack my aching heart a second later.

I’m giving both Alex and me mercy. In a way, Victoria and Celeste as well.

I’m left to the echo of my own erratic heartbeat, to the memories of Alex’s touch—a searing brand against my skin—haunting me with the ghost of what we were. His scent lingers in my sheets, a cruel reminder of the nights spent entwined, lost in each other, surrendering to desires as raw as open wounds.

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