Heartprints in the Void
⊰ 7 ⊱ Painful Truths

The early morning air is crisp as we pull into the airport drop-off zone, the sky still tinged with the fading purples and pinks of dawn. I put the car in park, the engine's soft hum filling the silence between Ava and me. For a moment, neither of us moves to get out.

I glance at Ava, catching her staring at me with a look on her face I can't read. There's something in her eyes-sadness, guilt, and something else that makes my stomach churn with unease. I feel my jaw clench involuntarily, a pressure headache already beginning to form.

"What?" I ask, trying to keep my tone light despite the tension that's been simmering between us for days.

Ava takes a deep breath, her fingers fidgeting with the strap of her bag. "I just... I want you to know that I'm really happy for you, Elys. You and Cade, Naomi... you have a beautiful family."

Her words should warm my heart, but there's an undercurrent to them that sets my nerves on edge. I've known Ava long enough to recognize when she's holding something back. My heart starts to race, anticipation coursing through me. "Thank you," I say slowly, studying her face. "But that's not all you want to say, is it?"

Her eyes widen slightly, caught off guard by my directness. She looks away, her gaze fixing on the bustling airport entrance. "I... there's something I need to tell you. Something I should have told you a long time ago."

My heart is pounding now, the rush of blood in my ears almost drowning out the ambient noise of the airport.

*Is this it? All the secrets and half-truths finally coming to light?*

"What is it, Ava?" I prompt gently, even as a part of me wants to cover my ears and pretend this conversation isn't happening.

She turns back to me, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "I know about Cade's hypnosis. I was there... I was part of it."

For a moment, I'm sure I've misheard. The words don't make sense. They *can't* make sense. She's my friend-my *best friend-she wouldn't do this to me...would she?

But as I search her face, the truth sinks in like a stone dropping into still water. My chest tightens, making it had to breathe.

"What?" I manage to choke out, my voice sounding strange and distant to my own ears.

Ava rushes to explain, her words tumbling in a frantic stream. "I was an intern at the clinic where it happened. I didn't know at first, I swear. But then I was assigned to shadow the psychiatrist assigned to the case, and I... I should have done something. I should have told you, but I was scared."

Each word is like a dagger, piercing through the happiness and security I've built over the past few weeks. Memories flood back-nights spent sobbing into my pillow, days where getting out of bed felt like an insurmountable task, the constant gnawing question of what I'd done wrong.

And Ava had known. I had cried on her shoulder countless times. All along, she had known.

*How could she do this to me..?*

"I'm so sorry, Elys," Ava finishes, reaching out to touch my arm. I flinch away instinctively, and she drops her hand, hurt flashing across her face. "I know I should have told you sooner. I wanted to, so many times, but I was afraid of losing you." "How could you?" I whisper, my voice trembling with anger and hurt. "You saw what it did to me. You held me while I cried. You listened to me go off for hours, wondering why he left, and you said nothing?"

"Elys, please. I wanted to tell you so many times. But David... he threatened me. He said he'd ruin my career and hurt you if I said anything." She reaches out again, her hand hovering uncertainly between us.

But again, I jerk away from her touch, my back pressing against the car door. The leather seat creaks under me, the sound jarringly loud in the tense silence.

"So you let me suffer instead?" My voice rises, cracking, filling the car with pain. "You watched me fall apart, helped me pick up the pieces, all while knowing the truth?"

Tears are streaming down her face now, her mascara leaving dark trails on her cheeks. "I thought I was protecting you," she says, her voice breaking. "I never meant to hurt you. You have to believe me."

But I don't know if I can. The betrayal cuts too deep, reopening wounds I thought had long since healed. Every shared secret, every late-night conversation, every moment of our friendship cast in a new, harsh light. "Get out," I say, my voice low and cold.

Ava's eyes widen, a fresh wave of tears spilling over, a soft sob breaking her lips. "Elys, please. Let me explain-"

"Get. Out." I repeat, each word sharp and final.

For a moment, she doesn't move. Then, slowly, as if every motion causes her pain, she gathers her things. The rustle of her bag, the click of the door handle each sound feels magnified, etching itself into my memory. As she steps out onto the curb, she turns back one last time. The morning sun highlights the tears on her cheeks, the anguish in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Elysian. I hope... I hope someday you can forgive me."

I don't respond. I can't. As soon as the door shuts, I pull away from the curb, tires squealing slightly on the asphalt. In my rearview mirror, I see Ava call out to me, her figure growing smaller as I drive away.

The betrayal sits heavy in my chest, a physical ache that threatens to overwhelm me. As I drive through the morning traffic, my vision blurs with unshed tears. Every song on the radio seems to mock me, every green light a taunt of how I should be moving forward when all I want to do is scream and rage against the unfairness of it all.

How much of my life has been a lie? How many more secrets are waiting to be uncovered? And most painfully: If Ava had told me sooner, could all of this heartache have been prevented? Could I have gotten back to Cade sooner? *Cade.*

The thought of him sends a fresh wave of pain through me. He remembered. Maybe not until he laid eyes on her, explaining why he reacted the way he did to the sight of her, but he knew. For three whole days he knew and he let me sit with her, welcome her into our home, and didn't say anything to me.

*Why would he do that..? How could he do that..?*

The questions swirl in my mind, each one more painful than the last. And as I drive, putting more distance between myself and the airport, between myself and Ava, I feel myself sinking lower, spiraling.

*Is there anyone I can trust anymore..?*