Chapter 7: Echoes of Departure
The weight of V's absence bore down upon Ross like a heavy burden as she stood in the empty silence of their shared space. His letter lay open in her trembling hands, his words echoing in her mind like a haunting refrain.
"I'm really going to miss you," she whispered to the empty room, her voice barely above a whisper. "And I'm sorry too, for not telling you the truth."
Tears blurred her vision as she traced the lines of his handwriting, each word a bittersweet reminder of the bond they had shared and the secrets that had driven them apart.
But amidst the ache of her heartache, a sudden commotion outside drew Ross's attention, pulling her from the depths of her despair.
Stepping out into the cool embrace of the night air, Ross found herself on a collision course with destiny as she collided with a stranger in her path.
"Sorry," she murmured, her voice barely audible above the din of the city streets.
But the man before her offered no apology, his eyes fixed on something in his grasp as he thrust a picture into her line of sight.
Confusion flickered across Ross's features as she studied the image before her, her heart skipping a beat as recognition dawned in the depths of her mind.
It was a photograph of V, his smile frozen in time, his presence a stark reminder of the void he had left behind.
"Have you seen this man?" the stranger demanded, his voice sharp with urgency.
Ross's breath caught in her throat as she struggled to find the words to respond, her mind racing with the weight of her newfound knowledge.
But before she could formulate a reply, the stranger was gone, disappearing into the shadows of the night without a second glance.
Left alone once more, Ross clutched the photograph to her chest, the echo of V's absence ringing in her ears like a symphony of lost dreams.
And as she stood amidst the bustling chaos of the city streets, Ross knew that her journey was far from over, her path intertwined with that of a man she could not forget and a truth she could not ignore.