Lunchtime arrived, and Yssa and Brandon had meticulously planned everything. When Seth came, Yssa would suggest they talk somewhere private, away from prying eyes. Meanwhile, Brandon would stay behind and wait for Glenn, letting him know that Yssa needed to speak with him later that afternoon. Everything felt perfectly orchestrated, at least in theory.

Minutes later, Seth's white Honda Civic rolled into the school's parkway. Yssa and Brandon, standing under the same waiting shed where Seth had spotted them the previous week, exchanged a tense glance. It felt like the beginning of something, though neither was sure if it would go according to plan.

"Here we go," Yssa whispered, her voice betraying her nerves. She and Brandon both took a deep breath, trying to steady themselves. Brandon gave her shoulder a reassuring tap, but they both knew what was coming.

Seth stepped out of the car, resting his arms on the open door as he scanned the area. The sky hung heavy with gray clouds, threatening rain at any moment. When his eyes landed on them, he smiled and waved. Grabbing a black umbrella from the glove compartment, he made his way toward them, his steps slow and deliberate.

"Hi, Yssa," Seth greeted her warmly as he reached the shed.

"Hello, Seth," she replied, her voice soft, almost too calm. "So, where are we going?"

Seth blinked, slightly thrown off by her question. "Have the two of you eaten?" he asked, deflecting her query with a casual gesture.

"We're good, we've already had lunch. Thanks," Brandon chimed in, his voice steady but tight.

Seth could feel something was off. His writer's instincts kicked in—there was tension in the air, something beneath the surface they weren't saying. Still, he just smiled, trying to push away the unease.

Suddenly, Brandon broke the silence. "Excuse me, I need to go to the faculty room." With that, he walked away, leaving Yssa and Seth standing alone.

Yssa watched Brandon retreat, feeling a flicker of anxiety. She turned back to Seth, her face betraying a trace of uncertainty.

Seth smiled, trying to ease the tension. "We can talk here if you want..."

"I'm not really comfortable here, Seth," she interrupted, her voice firmer than before. "Maybe we could go somewhere else."

Seth raised an eyebrow, sensing her unease. "Yeah, I think we should," he agreed, though he couldn't shake the feeling that she was hiding something. "But I'd rather not leave the school grounds. How about your classroom?"

Yssa's heart sank. She knew this wasn't going to be easy, and the walls felt like they were closing in. But she didn't have another plan, and Seth wasn't giving her much room to maneuver. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to nod.

"Okay," she whispered, knowing full well things were about to get complicated.

* * *

The classroom was empty, but the lights were on, and the windows were open, waiting for the next group of students to fill the space.

"Are you alright?" Seth asked softly, unable to ignore the tension hanging between them.

"I'm fine," Yssa replied, though her eyes never met his.

An uneasy silence stretched between them. Seth racked his brain for something to say while Yssa seemed lost in her own thoughts. He glanced around the room, his fingers tapping lightly on the back of a wooden chair.

"Did you know," he began hesitantly, "that what I wrote in the letter... it's all true?"

Yssa remained quiet, but she understood exactly what he was getting at. Seth shifted uncomfortably, sensing her unease.

"I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that," he said, his voice apologetic. "I'm sorry if I made things awkward."

"It didn't make me uncomfortable," Yssa finally responded, her tone softer. "I'm actually glad you said it."

"But you don't feel the same way I do," he blurted, the words tumbling out before he could stop them.

She looked at him then, her eyes filled with a quiet intensity. "Seth... I..."

"No, you don't have to say anything—"

"Yes, I do." She cut him off, her voice firm. "You deserve an answer, and I need to give you one."

She paused, searching for the right words, then took a deep breath. "I've been through a lot, Seth. In life, in love. I've met men who only wanted something from me, but none of them ever wanted to give anything in return." She paused, and Seth looked away, the weight of her words pressing on him. "But you... you're different. You're not like them. And that scares me."

Her hand reached up to his cheek, gently turning his face toward hers. "Look at me, Seth," she whispered. "I'm scared because I've never felt this way before. And I'm scared of Kristina. I don't think you've let her go yet, and if you haven't... it'll hurt me more than you can imagine."

Seth was at a loss for words. "I don't know what to say," he finally whispered.

"I like you, Seth. I really do," Yssa said, her voice trembling. "But I can't answer your question—not yet. We both have things we need to sort out first."

Her words hit him like a punch, but he understood. He lowered his gaze, arms folded tightly across his chest. "Since we met... I just... I don't know," he stammered, unable to articulate the storm of emotions brewing inside him.

Before he could say more, the door creaked open, and Yssa gasped.

Glenn.

"Hey, honey. What's going on?" Glenn asked casually, pulling the hair tie from his ponytail and letting his hair fall loose.

Both Yssa and Seth jumped to their feet, the tension in the room thickening instantly.

Seth's heart dropped when he heard Glenn call her "honey." He watched in disbelief as Glenn draped an arm over Yssa's shoulders, a sick feeling twisting in his stomach.

"Who's this?" Glenn asked, glancing between them, still smiling.

"He's Seth Santiago, Elisha's uncle," Yssa said, her voice shaking.

"How are you, man?" Glenn extended a hand toward Seth, but Seth didn't take it. He just nodded, his face tight with a forced smile.

Yssa's eyes flicked to Seth, filled with regret. "Mr. Santiago, this is Glenn."

"Yeah, her boyfriend," Glenn added casually. "Brandon said you weren't around, so I came looking for you. Guess I got lucky, huh?"

Mr. Santiago? Seth thought, feeling the sting of formality like a slap to the face. "I should go," Seth muttered, his voice hollow. Without another word, he turned and made for the door.

"Wait!" Yssa called after him, shaking Glenn's arm off as she hurried to follow Seth.

Seth stopped at the door but didn't turn around. "No."

"Seth, please... I can explain."

"Goodbye, Yssa," he said, his voice breaking as he walked quickly toward his car.

She ran after him, desperation lacing her voice. "Seth, please wait!" she called, watching as he fumbled with his keys, trying to start the engine. "Seth!"

He finally got the car started and sped away, his mind swirling with confusion and hurt.

Why? Why Yssa, of all people? What did I do to deserve this? The questions pounded in his mind, relentless and unforgiving. He felt like his world was unraveling, every thread pulling him further away from the life he thought he was building.

A part of him wanted to disappear, to run far away and never look back. Another part of him wanted answers, wanted to demand why Yssa had let him believe something was there between them. And yet, in the depths of his confusion, he felt the pull toward Kristina.

When everything in his life fell apart, it was always her. Kristina, the one he couldn't seem to let go of, even now when his heart was breaking all over again.

* * *

"Hey," Brandon said with a soft smile as he stepped through the door of the faculty room. "Oh, I'm sorry. Would you rather be alone?" He hesitated, noticing the sadness etched on her face.

It was just after 6 p.m. Classes had ended an hour ago, and the heavy rain pounding against the windows had made Yssa linger longer than she intended. Lucky for her, Brandon was still around.

Yssa shook her head, and Brandon noticed the faint traces of tears on her cheeks as she sat quietly behind her desk.

"What happened?" Brandon asked gently, his voice low and full of concern as he approached her.

"He knows about Glenn," she whispered, her throat tight with emotion. "Glenn walked in on us while we were talking in my classroom."

"I'm so sorry, Yssa," Brandon said, sitting down across from her. "I did tell Glenn what you wanted me to—"

"No, it's okay. It's my fault," she interrupted, her voice cracking as she reached for a tissue from her drawer and dabbed at her eyes.

"Brandon," she began again, her words broken by quiet sniffling, "do you remember how I'd always complain to you, crying about Glenn? I kept talking about honesty... trust... and I was so scared." Her voice trembled as she went on. "I was falling for Seth, and half of me kept thinking, 'Tell him the truth,' but the other half..." Her voice faltered, tears flowing once more, silencing her.

Brandon sat quietly, knowing that sometimes his presence was all she needed.

After a long pause, Yssa spoke again, her voice shaking. "The other half of me kept saying, 'Wait. He won't understand.' I thought I had time, that I could find the right moment, the right words. But I was wrong..."

She broke down again, her sobs filling the room, and when she spoke next, her voice was barely audible. "I broke him by becoming what I hate... a liar."

"You're not a liar," Brandon said softly, reaching across the table to take her hands.

"But to him, I am," Yssa said, her eyes brimming with fresh tears. "I don't think he'll ever trust me again."

"That's not true," Brandon squeezed her hands gently. "Yssa, everyone carries their own share of mistakes, of things they haven't said. You just have to trust that he'll see that. He'll understand."

"I don't know if he can," she murmured, shaking her head. Then, looking down as if lost in thought, she glanced back at him. "I saw his pain, Brandon. I was calling out to him, running after him to his car, but he wouldn't even look back. He didn't want to hear me out. I hurt him. I don't know..."

"At least now you know how deeply he feels for you," Brandon said softly, trying to comfort her.

"I have to see him, Brandon. I have to explain everything. I broke up with Glenn after Seth left. I'm not in love with Glenn anymore," she said, her voice filled with quiet conviction.

"And Glenn understood?" Brandon asked.

"I think so. He didn't say much. Just said goodbye and walked away. But... I think he was holding back tears. I've been lucky to have someone like Glenn," she said, her voice soft. "You know him, don't you?"

"Yeah, in a way," Brandon nodded. "But that's another blessing, Yssa. And it's a good thing you were able to be honest with him."

"Yes," she agreed. "But what matters to me now is Seth. I can't lose him."

"You won't," Brandon reassured her.

"How can you be so sure?" Yssa's eyes searched his for answers.

Brandon smiled, the certainty in his gaze unwavering. "I just know, Yssa. Trust me. I just know."