Siya's POV

Everything hurt.

My head.

My eyes.

Even breathing felt heavy.

The first thing I heard was voices.

Muffled.

Distant.

Like I was underwater.

Then slowly...

The voices became clearer.

"...told you she's stubborn."

"Blondie Blunder, shut up."

"Make me."

"Gladly."

Carlos and Cindy.

Of course.

A small smile almost appeared on my lips.

Almost.

I tried opening my eyes.

The light immediately made me regret my decision.

"She's awake."

The room fell silent.

Every single voice disappeared.

I blinked slowly.

The blurry figures around me finally started becoming clear.

Kathy.

Cindy.

Lucas.

James.

Carlos.

A boy i don't recognise

And then-

Ryan.

My head was resting against his chest.

His arm was around my shoulders.

The moment our eyes met, something in his expression changed.

Relief.

Pure relief.

"Hey."

His voice was quiet.

Gentle.

As if he was afraid speaking too loudly would scare me away.

I swallowed.

Suddenly remembering everything.

The hallway.

Jason.

His hand grabbing my arm.

The fear.

My breathing hitched.

Instantly Ryan's grip tightened.

Not enough to trap me.

Just enough to remind me I wasn't alone.

"You're okay."

His voice was firm this time.

"You're safe."

Safe.

The word hit me harder than I expected.

Because for a few minutes...

I genuinely hadn't felt safe.

A tear slipped down my cheek.

Embarrassing.

I hated crying.

Ryan wiped it away before anyone else noticed.

Or at least pretended not to notice.

"Siya."

My eyes dropped.

"I'm sorry."

The entire room froze.

Ryan frowned.

"What?"

I stared at my hands.

"You were supposed to welcome aron ."

Silence.

"You were supposed to enjoy the party."

More silence.

"And instead everyone had to deal with..."

My voice cracked.

"...with me."

For a second nobody spoke.

Then suddenly-

A pillow hit my face.

I looked up.

Carlos.

"What the hell was that for?"kathy said

"That was for saying something stupid."

"Carlos!" Cindy groaned

"No, seriously."

He folded his arms.

"If anyone apologizes tonight, it should be the idiot currently being escorted out by security."

Lucas nodded.

James nodded.

Even the guy in glasses unknown to me nodded.

"He's right." Ryan said

For once.

Carlos actually was.

I looked around the room.

At all of them.

At the people who had stayed.

Who had worried.

Who had come running.

And suddenly my chest hurt.

Not from fear.

But from gratitude.

Then my eyes landed on the person with glasses again .

He was standing near the wall with his hands in his pockets.

The moment our eyes met, he awkwardly looked away.

I frowned slightly.

Ryan noticed.

"Oh."

He glanced toward the boy.

"You two haven't met."

The boy immediately looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him whole.

Carlos smirked.

"Good luck, soldier."

"Carlos, shut up."

"No."

Lucas laughed.

Ryan ignored them.

"Siya, this is Aron."

My brows furrowed.

Aron.

The same Aron everyone kept talking about the same aron who i had crush in my childhood, why couldn't i recognise him ? Is this because of his glasses? Or because his changed physique ?

The one Carlos called the most sensible person in the group?

The boy stepped forward awkwardly.

"Hi."

"Hi."

The room suddenly became strangely quiet.

Aron rubbed the back of his neck.

Then muttered,

"Sorry our first meeting happened like... this."

A small smile appeared on my face.

"Not exactly your fault."

Carlos immediately snorted.

"Actually it is."

"Carlos."

"What?"

Ryan pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Ignore him."

Aron looked genuinely embarrassed.

Then after a moment he said quietly,

"I just... saw what was happening."

The room fell silent.

His jaw tightened.

"And I couldn't walk away."

Something inside my chest softened.

Because he wasn't saying it for praise.

Or attention.

It was simply who he was.

"Thank you."

The words came out sincere.

Aron immediately shook his head.

"No need."

"There is."

I held his gaze.

"Thank you."

For the first time, a small smile appeared on his face.

Then Carlos dramatically wiped an imaginary tear.

"Look at that."

"Carlos."

"Our Aron is making friends that too with opposite gender."

"Carlos."

"He's growing up so fast."

A cushion immediately hit him in the face.

This time thrown by Kathy.

And somehow-

For the first time that night-

Everyone laughed.

Siya's POV

The room was finally calm.

For the first time since waking up, everyone seemed relaxed.

Carlos was sprawled across a chair.

Cindy was arguing with him.

Aron sat quietly beside James.

Kathy was playing with my hair.

Ryan was scrolling through his phone.

Everything felt normal.

Then my phone vibrated.

Buzz.

I glanced down absentmindedly.

And froze.

My blood turned cold.

Because the contact name wasn't unfamiliar.

It was saved as-

Ryan 🌻

The same contact.

The same one.

The same contact that had started everything.

My hands immediately began trembling.

No.

No.

No.

That number had been dead for months.

The messages had stopped.

The account had disappeared.

I had convinced myself whoever it was had moved on.

Another vibration.

Buzz.

A new message appeared.

«Hello, Sunshine.»

My heart stopped.

The room suddenly felt too small.

Too quiet.

Too cold.

And before I could stop myself-

The phone slipped from my fingers.

It landed screen-up.

Right in front of Carlos.

"Smooth."

He picked it up.

Then frowned.

"Why is this number saved as Ryan?"

My entire body stiffened.

Carlos looked between me and Ryan.

"Ryan doesn't even use this number."

The room immediately fell silent.

Ryan's head snapped up.

Kathy froze.

Lucas and James exchanged a look.

A look that made Aron instantly realize he was missing information.

Carlos looked confused.

Very confused.

"Okay."

He held up the phone.

"Somebody explain."

Nobody spoke.

Then another message appeared.

Buzz.

Carlos looked down.

And read it aloud.

«I see you're still keeping me under his name.»

The room went dead silent.

Every ounce of color drained from my face.

Because...

Nobody should know that.

Nobody.

Carlos frowned.

"That's oddly specific."

James immediately stood up.

Lucas wasn't smiling anymore.

Kathy looked genuinely disturbed.

Aron slowly took the phone.

His expression darkened as he read.

Then another message arrived.

Buzz.

«Some habits never change, Sunshine.»

My stomach twisted.

Aron looked up.

"Who is this?"

For the first time all evening-

Nobody had an answer.

Not even Ryan.

Ryan took the phone.

His jaw tightened as he scrolled through the messages.

Then his expression changed.

Not confusion.

Not anger.

Recognition.

The same expression Kathy and James wore.

Because unlike Carlos and Aron-

They knew.

They remembered.

Summer.

The messages.

The anonymous account.

The months Siya spent talking to someone she believed was Ryan.

Then another text appeared.

Buzz.

This time nobody touched the phone.

Everyone simply watched.

As if looking away would make it worse.

The message slowly appeared on the screen.

«Funny.

Last time you couldn't wait to talk to me.»

The room grew colder.

Lucas swallowed.

Carlos finally looked serious.

"Okay."

He looked around.

"What the hell is going on?"

Nobody answered.

Then-

Another message.

Buzz.

«Tell Ryan he doesn't need to look so worried.

I already know he's sitting beside you.»

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Every head slowly turned toward Ryan.

Because Ryan hadn't sent a single message.

Hadn't called.

Hadn't spoken.

Yet somehow-

The sender knew exactly where he was.

My hands started shaking again.

Kathy immediately grabbed them.

"Siya..."

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Another vibration.

Buzz.

The final message appeared.

And this time-

Nobody spoke after reading it.

«It's nice seeing everyone together again.

Especially you, Carlos.

You weren't around when our story began.»

Carlos went pale.

And my dear aron welcome to the circle now the family is completed»

Aron immediately stood.

Lucas cursed under his breath.

James snatched the curtains open and looked outside.

Ryan's grip on the phone tightened.

Because suddenly-

This wasn't a forgotten summer memory anymore.

This wasn't an old anonymous friend.

This wasn't nostalgia.

Whoever was texting knew things they shouldn't.

Things only someone watching would know.

And for the first time since the messages returned-

Even Ryan Bosco looked unsettled.

(⁠✿⁠^⁠‿⁠^⁠)
So the story is finally back to its track
The fake messanger and how it led to fake relationships
Wait for the drama to be unfold
Love you all
Aapki dora urf pentora ❤️ 💋