Fri, Feb 14: A quiet evening at a parking lot, where silence speaks louder than words.

The car ride had been silent before this—just the sound of the road beneath them, the unsteady rhythm of her heartbeat, and the memory of all their past conversations hanging between them like a thread ready to snap. It was only earlier today that Hareez had looked at her with warmth, teased her, made her laugh. But now, here they were, sitting in the same car yet feeling worlds apart.

"You were different before," she whispered, searching his face for something—anything—that would prove her wrong. But Hareez only looked away, gripping the gear shift as if it could ground him. Then, without another word, he accelerated. The engine roared, matching the storm inside her chest.

And when he finally dropped her off, he didn’t wait for her to step inside like he used to. He just drove off—fast, as if leaving her behind meant leaving everything else too.

And maybe, in a way, he did.