Insecure

"Am I interrupting something?" echoes Ella's mother's voice as she stands near the dining table.

"No!" shrieks Ella, instantly backing off in her seat, but Adam remains calm and continues eating his dinner silently.

Ella's mother sits down and peers at the duo sitting beside her. "So, Adam, what do you do?" she asks curiously. The question causes an eruption of goosebumps all over Ella's body, though she doesn't quite understand why.

Adam blinks for a moment before answering, "I have my own company; I work there as the CEO."

Ella stares at him unbelievably, giving him an "Are you serious?" look. He chuckles a bit at her reaction before continuing, "I don't normally tell people about that because they don't believe me." He takes a side glance at Ella, who scowls at his reply.

"Umm, nice," praises Ella's mom with a smile directed at Adam. She then suddenly signals at Ella, saying, "Ella has completed her graduation too. She is trying to make it in art."

"Mom, I can tell him by myself," Ella says, her face turning red from the embarrassment of her mother's revelation.

"Oh, sorry dear," her mother says, realizing her mistake.

"It's okay," Ella mumbles, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"She has told me about that," says Adam, trying to change the topic, but it falls flat as Ella's mother asks him about something he always feels insecure about and never wants to discuss.

"So, Adam, how did you meet my daughter?" her mother asks with a curious smile.

Adam clears his throat, feeling a bit uneasy about sharing this particular story, but he decides to answer honestly, "We met by chance when Ella had an accident. I helped her and we crossed paths again later."

Ella's mother looks at them with a knowing expression, as if she senses there's more to the story. "Well, it's good that you were there to help her," she says, dropping the subject and moving on to lighter conversation.

"It was my pleasure," Adam replies, smiling warmly. "Take care, and remember, I'm always here if you need someone to talk to."

Ella nods, her heart feeling lighter after their honest conversation. She closes the door behind him, feeling fortunate to have a friend like Adam who truly cares about her well-being.

As Adam noticed Ella getting somewhat uncomfortable with her mother's continuous questioning, he desperately tried to divert the topic of discussion, but it was a terrible move as Ella's mother asked him about his biggest insecurity. "You are such a sweet boy; your mother must be so proud of you," says Ella's mother, oblivious to the pain she was unknowingly causing. All they were met with was silence. Adam had stopped eating, and his eyes were fixated on his plate.

The silence was suffocating, and Ella could feel the weight of her mother's question hanging in the air like a heavy cloud. She knew the sensitivity of the topic, and her heart ached for Adam. She silently tapped on his fist, trying to offer him comfort and support. "Adam..." she whispered, her voice barely audible.

But he didn't respond, and Ella felt a mixture of frustration and fear building within her. She glared at her mother with an angry expression, silently pleading with her not to push further. Her mother lowered her head in embarrassment, realizing her mistake, but it was too late to undo the damage.

Then, in the midst of the tense atmosphere, Adam's voice broke the silence, his words heavy with pain. "My parents died when I was 9 years old in an accident," he confessed, his voice trembling. Ella's heart shattered into a million pieces as she witnessed the raw vulnerability in his eyes. Her mother gasped in shock and covered her mouth to stifle her own emotions.

Tears welled up in Ella's eyes as she struggled to find the right words to console him. She wanted to reach out and hold him, but he seemed distant, lost in his painful memories. Slowly, Adam raised his head to meet Ella's gaze, and his red, tear-filled eyes pierced her soul. "I don't know this feeling," he added, and his vulnerability made Ella's heart ache even more.

Unable to bear the weight of the emotions, Adam stood up abruptly, and Ella's mother followed suit, wanting to comfort him. But he was already closing himself off, avoiding their gazes as he fought back his tears. "It's okay," he managed to say, but the pain in his voice was palpable.

Ella sat there, torn between her love for Adam and the guilt of causing him pain. She felt like she had let him down, and she wished she could take away all his sorrow. As he looked at her, she saw the pain he was carrying, and it broke her heart.

Adam rushed towards the exit of the house, his footsteps filled with frustration and sadness. Ella's mother tried to stop him, but he was determined to leave. Ella's voice reached his ears, stopping him momentarily. "Let him go, Mom," she said, her voice quivering. "You have caused him enough loss."

Adam hesitated for a moment, torn between leaving and staying. He glanced back at Ella, her tear-stained face etched in his mind. Something within him made him decide to stay, at least for a while. He needed to breathe, to find some solace in the fresh air outside, away from the painful memories that haunted him.

As he stood outside the house, he took deep breaths, trying to calm the storm of emotions raging inside him. The pain of his past had resurfaced, but now he also felt the warmth and care from Ella, someone who saw past his walls and tried to understand him.

The air was heavy with emotions, and Adam needed time to process everything that had transpired. He didn't know what the future held, but one thing was certain – Ella had touched his heart in a way no one else ever had. And as he looked up at the starry night sky, he wondered if there was hope for healing and happiness after all.

"How many times? How many times?" Ella's voice trembled with anguish and heartache as she cried hysterically, her tears flowing uncontrollably. The weight of her mother's hurtful question and Adam's painful revelation crushed her soul. She felt exposed, vulnerable, and betrayed. "I was hoping that you wouldn't say something humiliating. But you did it like Alexa's case! Why!" she yelled, her words echoing in the room, but there was no answer that could soothe her pain.

Adam's heart wrenched at the sight of Ella's anguish. Her cries haunted him, and he felt a deep sense of regret for causing her so much pain. He shifted his gaze uncomfortably, unable to bear the guilt that engulfed him. He turned back a little, looking at the window behind him, as if seeking solace in the darkness outside.

And there she was, Ella, breaking apart before his eyes. She cried bitterly, her hands covering her face, as if trying to shield herself from the emotional turmoil within. Her mother attempted to offer comfort, but Ella's pain was too profound to be eased so easily.

"I didn't mean to—" her mother tried to explain, but Ella's cries and accusations stopped her mid-sentence.

"Don't use those words on me. It's not going to work," Ella's voice trembled with emotion. She continued, recounting a painful memory from her past, "Alexa also left me because of your and my dad's critical questioning session. That was in elementary school. I was roughly 10 at that time. I thought this would not happen now. But I guess your nature can't be changed."

Ella's words pierced Adam's heart like a thousand arrows. He felt her pain, her loneliness, and her fear of losing yet another friend. Her cries became louder, and she struggled to breathe amidst her sobs, her emotions overwhelming her.

"Did you? Did you see him? The hurt in his eyes," Ella's words were filled with desperation and sorrow. Adam felt her pain as if it were his own, his chest tightening with each word she spoke. "He was trying so hard to not cry right there in front of us!" Ella cried again, her anguish pouring out like a raging storm.

Adam's vision blurred from his own tears as he stood there, helplessly witnessing Ella's emotional turmoil. He had never intended to hurt her, but his actions inadvertently reopened old wounds for her. He wanted to reach out to her, to console her, but he felt paralyzed by his own insecurities.

Ella continued to express her anguish, her legs shaking with pain, but she was driven by a deeper concern—for Adam's well-being. "I can't keep his face out of my head. His teary eyes are eating me up. I was the reason. I caused all this chaos!" she exclaimed, the weight of her guilt becoming unbearable.

As the realization of the impact of his past resurfaced, Adam felt an overwhelming urge to escape, to run away from the pain he had unintentionally caused. He turned on his heels, ready to flee from the heartache he couldn't bear to witness any longer.

But then he heard a faint yell, a cry of despair. He turned back around to see Ella on the ground, her leg twisted in agony. Her voice was broken as she wailed, "My insecurity is no longer a dream. I lost a friend again."

At that moment, Adam's world stopped. He felt a sharp pang in his heart, realizing the depth of Ella's feelings. A profound sadness washed over him, and he turned away once more, his eyes welling up with tears. "She considers me her friend?" he mumbled, a bittersweet smile forming on his lips. He left the room with a heavy heart, the echo of Ella's broken voice haunting his every step.

As he walked away, a part of him felt lost, knowing that he had unintentionally caused Ella so much pain. Yet, amidst the sorrow, a small glimmer of hope remained—that in the midst of their shared vulnerabilities and insecurities, they had also found a connection, however painful it might be. But his heartache at her low yell, "I lost him..."