Three weeks passed.
Nothing changed.
Darren became his old self again. He had dinner with Nora every day. He picked out a wedding dress. He booked a reception venue. He smiled whenever people congratulated him. He acted as if nothing had happened.
He still came to Arden's house every weekend, too. He still brought Aurelia's favorite chocolate bread. He still laughed at Arden's stupid jokes. He still rubbed Aurelia's head whenever she complained about college.
Everyone pretended everything was fine.
Everyone except Arka.
Arka came to Arden's house that Saturday afternoon. He brought a box of beer, as usual. He sat on the porch with Arden and Darren, as usual. But his eyes never left Darren.
Aurelia came out carrying three glasses. She set them on the table. Just as she was about to turn around, Arka caught her wrist.
"I want to take you to a movie tomorrow night."
Aurelia froze.
Arden stopped opening his beer.
Darren went still.
"I don't..." Aurelia began.
"Don't say no yet. I already bought the tickets. The movie you wanted to see is only showing tomorrow, right?" Arka smiled. There was no teasing in his voice. No hint of showing off. Just a simple statement.
Aurelia looked at Arden. Then she looked at Darren.
Darren took a drink of his beer. He didn't look at anyone.
"All right. Sure." Aurelia finally answered.
Arka released her wrist. "Good. I'll pick you up at seven."
Aurelia went back inside the house.
After the sound of her footsteps faded, Arden kicked Arka's leg. "Are you crazy? She's still in college."
"So what? She's an adult." Arka took a drink of his beer. His eyes were still fixed on Darren. "Besides, you don't have a problem with it, do you?"
Arden snorted. "Do whatever you want. But if you make her cry, I'll break your neck."
"I will."
Arka stood up. He said goodbye and prepared to leave. Before he went, he paused beside Darren's chair. He leaned down and whispered softly, just loud enough for Darren to hear.
"You chose to stay silent. Now deal with the consequences."
Darren didn't answer. He didn't move at all. He simply kept holding his beer glass until the cold seeped through the glass and froze the skin of his hand.
Darren didn't go home that night. He slept on the sofa at Arden's house, like he often had when they were teenagers. He couldn't sleep. He just lay there, listening to the crickets in the yard and hearing Aurelia's footsteps pass in front of the sofa at two in the morning.
He knew Aurelia wasn't asleep either.
He knew Aurelia paused in front of him. He could smell the shampoo she used. He could feel the girl looking at his face.
He kept his eyes closed. He pretended to be asleep.
Aurelia stood there for nearly a minute. Then she left.
When the sound of her footsteps faded, Darren opened his eyes.
He reached out his hand. Into the empty air in front of him. Toward the spot where Aurelia had been standing.
He touched nothing.
The next evening, at 6:50, Arka arrived in his car. He was wearing a white shirt. His hair was neatly combed. He was carrying a single sunflower.
Aurelia came down the stairs. She was wearing a light blue dress. Her hair hung loose. She looked beautiful.
Darren stood in the doorway. He watched the two of them.
Arka opened the car door for Aurelia. Before she got in, Aurelia turned toward Darren.
Their eyes met.
For one second. Just one second.
Darren saw her. He saw the question in Aurelia's eyes. He saw hope. He saw her pleading. He saw the girl waiting, for one last second, for him to say something. To do something. To stop all of this.
Darren smiled.
"Have a good time. Be careful."
He watched the light in Aurelia's eyes go out.
The girl nodded slowly. She got into the car. Arka closed the door. He waved at Darren. Then the car drove away.
Darren remained standing in the doorway.
Arden came out of the house. He was holding two cans of beer. He handed one to Darren.
"You're an idiot," Arden said softly.
Darren looked at his friend.
"You think I don't know?" Arden continued. "You think I haven't seen it all these years? You think I haven't seen the way you look at my sister? How you're always there whenever she needs you? How you've loved her, even before you realized it yourself?"
Darren didn't answer.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Arden's voice began to tremble. "Why did you let her leave with someone else?"
Darren drained his beer.
"Because I don't deserve her," Darren finally answered. His voice was flat. Broken. "I'm going to marry someone else. I'll destroy everything if I get close to her. She's better off being happy with someone else than being ruined with me."
Arden punched the wall.
"You're such a coward."
"Yeah." Darren nodded. "I'm a coward."
The two of them stood there, staring at the empty road where Arka and Aurelia's car had disappeared.
At the end of the road, inside the car, Aurelia sat silently beside Arka. She looked out the window. Tears fell down her cheeks.
Arka didn't say anything. He didn't turn to look at her. He just kept driving. He pulled a tissue from the glove compartment and handed it to Aurelia without looking at her.
Aurelia accepted it and wiped her tears.
"You knew," Aurelia said softly. "You knew everything, didn't you?"
Arka nodded.
"Why did you do this?"
Arka stopped at a red light. He turned to look at Aurelia.
"Because someone had to do it," Arka answered gently. "Someone had to be the bad guy. Someone had to make him choose. Someone had to end all these lies. Even if it meant everyone would hate me."
The light turned green. Arka pressed the gas pedal.
"We don't actually have to see the movie," Arka said. "We can get ice cream. Or sit on the beach. Or go anywhere you want. I just don't want you to stay home alone tonight, waiting for someone who's never going to come."
Aurelia lowered her head. She clutched the sunflower tightly in her lap.
No one was happy that night.
No one won.
No one lost.
There were only four people, each trapped in their own choices. Each keeping their own pain to themselves. And they all knew that, starting that night, nothing would ever go back to the way it was.