Two days had passed, and Rody's mind had been caught in an endless loop one he neither understood nor wanted to acknowledge.
It wasn't supposed to be this way.
Sam had only been absent for a couple of days, yet somehow, her absence lingered in a way that felt unnatural. Rody, who had never cared much for things like this, found himself stuck in a battle an internal war between logic and emotion. The text from two nights ago had messed with him more than he cared to admit. And the worst part? His friends had noticed.
Even if he didn't say anything, his silence was loud.
Ray, sharp-eyed and ever perceptive, pulled him aside after their usual meetup. Away from the group, away from distractions, just the two of them.
"You good?" Ray asked, studying him with a piercing gaze. "You know you can talk to me, right?"
Rody hesitated.
Of course, he knew that. Ray was the one person he could always count on. His brother in all but blood. But that was the problem Ray knew him too well. And if Rody said even one wrong thing, Ray would piece it all together instantly.
And that was dangerous.
If Ray figured it out, he'd say it outright he'd spell it out in a way Rody didn't want to hear.
Rody liked Sam.
That was the next logical conclusion, wasn't it?
But no. That wasn't true. It couldn't be.
If Ray said it out loud, then the others would start seeing it too. And then what? Pri would absolutely detest it. Lina she might be fine with it, but she might make things worse by telling Sam. And then what? Awkwardness. Isolation. He'd become the outcast of his own group.
He couldn't risk that.
Not yet.
Not ever.
Rody forced a small, casual shrug.
"Yeah, I know. You're the only one I can ever count on," he admitted, keeping his voice light. "It's nothing deep. Exams are coming up, so I haven't been sleeping well. That's all."
Ray narrowed his eyes, not convinced.
"But you pull all-nighters all the time," he pointed out. "This feels different. Like something's actually bothering you."
That was the thing about Ray nothing escaped him.
Rody felt his pulse quicken, but he stuck to his story.
"Nah, just exhaustion. Stress. You know how it is."
Ray held his gaze for another moment before sighing. "Alright, if you say so." He wouldn't push not yet. But he'd keep watching. He always did.
As Ray walked away, Rody let out a slow breath.
He had dodged the conversation for now.
But the truth? The turmoil hadn't left him.
And for the first time, he wasn't sure if it ever would.