Gadis' Side
Ujo hugged me tightly the moment we met at the café we had agreed on. He looked a little fuller now, a bit more refined with the mustache that sat proudly above his lips. Two years apart hadn't created distance between us—it felt like no time had passed at all. We dove into an excited exchange about the new technologies we were developing, marveling at each other's progress and ambitions.
He was in Cambridge now to work on a tech project with the startup he'd founded just a year ago with some of our old lab mates. Our reunion was warm, effortless.
Alya sat beside us, quiet, smiling, occasionally nodding when she caught fragments of our tech-heavy talk. Her innocence amidst our geeky banter made both Ujo and me laugh out loud.
"It feels so good to be like this again," Ujo said, stretching his arms wide, as if he'd been carrying years of weight on his shoulders.
"Yeah, just missing Davi," I added, sipping my iced latte.
Ujo glanced briefly at Alya when I mentioned Davi. It had been a long time since I last heard from him. The last I knew, he was in Bolivia. Unlike Ujo and me, Davi had veered far from our original field. He'd chosen to become a nature photographer, constantly traveling to remote, unreachable places. No internet. No signal. Just mountains and silence. I never quite understood why.
He wasn't the adventure-seeking type. He didn't dream of circling the world in pursuit of beauty. When I asked him why, he once said it was to forget love. A heartbreak he couldn't shake off. That's how it started—but it ended up becoming his obsession.
"Do you know who his ex is, Jo?" I asked, casually.
"Uh… why don't you ask Aya," Ujo stammered. He looked like a man caught hiding something big.
Alya's startled expression confirmed it. Now my curiosity was lit. I don't usually dig into people's private lives, especially friends'. But the way they reacted—like I was brushing against a secret too fragile to be exposed—made me want to know more.
Ujo, clearly uncomfortable under my stare, was about to speak when Alya grabbed my arm and pulled me up. "Let's go. It's almost evening. We should head to the Bridge of Sighs," she said, dragging us out of the café.
So we followed her.
The evening unfolded with museums and quiet walks, the smell of old books and cobblestone under our steps. We ate sandwiches by the River Cam, watching tour boats drift by lazily. Strangely, after all these years of friendship, it was the first time I had traveled with Ujo and Alya. Back in college, time and money had always been scarce.
"What's next on your plan?" Ujo asked, his sandwich half gone.
"Tomorrow morning we'll visit The Backs before heading home," I answered.
"Good choice," he nodded, finishing the last bite. Then he stood, excused himself—too many deadlines to chase. A final hug and he was gone.
But the question lingered. That unfinished conversation gnawed at me.
Just as Ujo was about to turn the corner, I stopped him. "Tell me the truth."
He hesitated. "I can't. Ask Alya."
Of course, Alya was in the restroom. The timing couldn't have been worse.
Something inside me felt unsettled. I tried to shake it off—to enjoy the last stretch of this short escape. But even Alya could read the unease in my face. Instead of exploring Cambridge at night, she suggested we return to our hotel.
We walked in silence. The kind of silence that screams.
Once inside, we showered, changed, and crawled into bed. Alya took both my hands in hers, her eyes fixed on mine like she was about to leap into a confession.
"It's me," she whispered, as if pulling the truth from the pit of her lungs. "I'm the one Davi loved. I'm the one who made him leave."
Time stopped.
I might've handled it better—had it been someone else. But Davi wasn't just anyone. He was my closest friend. And Alya… Alya had been mine, too.
I pulled my hands away, stood to leave, unsure where I was going—but needing space. Alya reached for me again.
"Please, Gadis. Just listen," she cried, her voice breaking.
"How many secrets have you kept from me?" I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended.
"What do you mean?" she asked, eyes wide.
"Sleeping pills. Tranquilizers. Davi. What else? We've spent two weeks together and I still don't know who you've become."
She stared at me, stunned that I even knew about the pills.
"I just didn't want to burden you. I didn't want you to think I was still broken," she sobbed.
I wanted to hold her. I wanted to scream. I wanted to forgive her. But the betrayal was fresh, and the pain was real. So I walked away.
Alya's Side
It wasn't that I didn't want to tell her.
It was that I couldn't.
After Gadis left me, I fell into the deepest parts of myself—places so dark I forgot the color of joy. I clung to sleeping pills like a child clings to nightlights, terrified of dreams. I swallowed silence and tranquilizers just to stay afloat. And yes… I ran into Davi's arms—not out of love, but desperation.
I hurt him. He didn't deserve that. But he let me lean on him when I was hollow. It was cruel. And cowardly. And now, the woman I love finally knows.
The moment she turned away, my chest tightened. My breath shortened. The shadows inside me clawed their way out.
A panic attack.
Something I hadn't felt in months. Not since I was with Gadis again. I reached for my bag, hands trembling. My meds. Where are they?
But then I remembered—I'd stopped bringing them. Because with her, I thought I didn't need them anymore.
My body shivered. My lungs screamed. My vision blurred. I was drowning.
She must've heard me. She turned around, rushed to me. Held me close. Her arms like anchors, her voice like home.
"I'm here. I'm not leaving. You don't need those pills. I'm right here."
Her tears fell onto my skin.
And I believed her.
When my breath finally settled and the storm inside me passed, she gave me water, wiped my face, and cradled me again like I was something worth saving.
"I'm sorry," I whispered.
"I'm sorry too," she replied, her voice shaking.
Maybe forgiveness takes time. Maybe love is a series of falls and fragile recoveries. But in that moment, held in her arms, I thought—maybe this time, we'll survive the fall together.