CHAPTER 25: CHAPTER 25: THE QUIET BEFORE THE SHATTER

POV: Milo

6:20 AM — He’s Gone

The house was quieter than usual.

Not the normal quiet — not the sleepy, early morning kind. This was different. Heavier.

Mom was already in the kitchen, but she wasn’t making breakfast. She was just... standing there. Staring at the counter. Her coffee sat untouched.

My dad hadn’t come downstairs yet.

I opened the fridge. Grabbed juice. Closed it.

Still no one said a word.

Then she finally spoke.

"He’s not here."

I turned. "Aaron?"

She nodded. But she didn’t look at me. "He left last night."

6:23 AM — The Letter

She handed it to me.

A folded piece of notebook paper, already creased at the edges. I didn’t want to read it, but I also had to.

I’m going away for a bit.

Please don’t try to find me.

This isn’t your fault.

It’s mine.

I lowered the letter. My jaw tightened.

"I didn’t think he’d actually do it," I muttered.

"Do what?" she asked.

"Disappear."

6:35 AM — What I Really Wanted to Say

What I wanted to scream:

"What did you expect? After everything you two did?"

What I actually said:

"Maybe it’s for the best."

She looked like she’d been slapped. Her lips parted, but no words came out.

And even though I knew it was cruel, I didn’t take it back.

Because someone in this house needed to stop pretending we weren’t all drowning.

8:00 AM — Flashback: Aaron and Me, Before

A few months ago, Aaron and I stayed up late bingeing horror movies.

He told me about a girl he liked. I assumed she was from school. Someone he met at work, maybe.

He said she was older. "Mature," he called her. "Smart. The kind of person who sees straight through you."

I laughed and said, "Damn, sounds like you’re already in too deep."

He didn’t laugh.

Now I realize: he was.

Just not with some mystery woman.

With her.

9:15 AM — Confrontation (Kind Of)

I cornered her in the laundry room.

She jumped when I closed the door.

"Did you think this wouldn’t end like this?" I asked quietly.

She didn’t answer.

"You said it was a mistake," I went on. "You said you ended it. But that wasn’t true, was it?"

Her eyes filled with tears. "It was never supposed to happen—"

"Stop saying that," I snapped. "You don’t get to use that line anymore. You don’t get to pretend you were just caught in something."

"I love him," she said suddenly.

It hit me like a punch to the chest.

"You what?"

Her voice broke. "I know it’s wrong. But it’s not fake. I didn’t just use him."

I stared at her for a long moment. Then I shook my head.

"Love isn’t supposed to wreck every single person around you."

10:10 AM — Dad’s Suspicions

I found Dad outside, trimming the hedges. He looked up as I walked over, squinting against the morning sun.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

No. Everything’s on fire and none of us know how to say it out loud.

"Just worried about Aaron," I said. "He left a letter."

Dad sighed. "I saw it. He didn’t say much."

He stared into the distance for a moment. Then added, "You think he’s okay?"

I hesitated. "Physically? Yeah. Emotionally? Probably not."

He nodded slowly. "There’s been something off with him lately. With Elena too."

He said her name carefully. Like it might explode.

I didn’t respond.

"Do you know something?" he asked.

I looked him in the eye.

And lied.

"No."

1:00 PM — Searching Without Searching

I spent the next few hours checking his usual spots.

The park near our old school

The rooftop of the mall parking garage

The lake trail where he used to walk when he was pissed

Nothing.

No texts. No signal. No posts.

I didn’t know if I wanted to find him.

Or if I wanted him to stay gone until the whole damn house came down and everyone had to face the truth.

4:30 PM — When I Started to Miss Him

Around midafternoon, I sat on a bench outside the gas station where we used to bike to as kids.

I remembered how he used to buy those disgusting sour gummies. How he always had to be the loudest one on the ride back. How he looked out for me when I got jumped freshman year.

And now?

Now he was a ghost.

And even after everything — the betrayal, the lies — I still missed him.

Because before all of this, he wasn’t just my brother.

He was my best friend.

6:55 PM — The Moment I Realized He’s Not Coming Back

I went home.

I walked in. Saw Mom at the kitchen table, still staring at that damn letter like it might suddenly explain everything.

Dad was upstairs, door closed.

The house didn’t just feel quiet.

It felt empty.

Like a void was forming where Aaron used to be.

And for the first time since he left...

I believed him.

He wasn’t coming back.

📘 End of Chapter 25

💬 YOUR TURN!

Milo’s torn between anger and grief.

Elena admits she loves Aaron.

Aaron is gone. But for how long?

👇 Tell me in the comments — is Milo justified in staying silent, or should he tell his dad?

❤️ Tap the heart if that confrontation in the laundry room hit hard.

🔔 Follow to get Chapter 26 — where someone unexpected finally says the words everyone’s been avoiding.