Mila’s fingers trembled as she hit call, her heart racing. It was one of those days—one where she felt the weight of the world on her shoulders and just needed to hear Daniel’s voice. “Yeah?” he answered, his voice curt and cold. “Hey, it’s me. I just wanted to see how you were doing,” she said, forcing a lightness into her tone. “Why do you care?” His words sliced through the air like a knife, and Mila flinched at the harshness. “I… I was just checking in,” she replied, her stomach knotting. “I know you’ve been busy, and I just wanted to know if you’re okay.” “Busy? Is that what you think?” he scoffed. “I’m dealing with my own crap here, and you calling me isn’t helping.” Mila’s heart sank. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you. I just wanted to—” “Of course you didn’t mean to,” he interrupted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “You never mean to. You just want to play the hero. You always do this.” His words hit her like a punch. She felt the familiar rush of shame wash over her, wondering how she’d gotten it so wrong. “I care about you, Daniel,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady. “I just thought you might want to talk.” “Talk? About what?” He laughed, but there was no humor in it. “About how you think you can fix everything? I’m not broken, Mila.” “I never said you were broken,” she whispered, tears pricking at her eyes as the situation escalated. “I just thought we could help each other.” “You want to help? Then stop making everything about you. You’re so self-centered sometimes,” he snapped, and her heart shattered a little more. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm. “I’m sorry if I’ve upset you. That’s not my intention. I just… I don’t want to lose you.” There was silence on the line, and she could feel the tension building. She hoped he’d soften, that he’d remember the good times and how much they cared for each other. But instead, he let out a long, exasperated sigh. “Honestly, it’s exhausting to keep explaining myself to you. You just don’t get it, do you?” “I’m trying,” she said, her voice trembling. “I really am. But it feels like I’m always walking on eggshells around you.” “Maybe you should be,” he shot back, the anger simmering just beneath the surface. “Maybe if you actually thought before you spoke, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” Mila closed her eyes, fighting back tears. She didn’t want to argue. She just wanted him to love her like he used to. “I just want to understand you,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t want to keep feeling like I’m the problem.” “Then stop being a problem,” he retorted. “You want to keep this up? Fine. But you need to learn how to behave.” A sharp pain lanced through her, and she bit her lip to hold back the hurt. She didn’t want to fight; she just wanted to connect, to feel safe again. “I don’t want to lose you,” she repeated, the words hanging heavy between them. “Then maybe you should think about that before you open your mouth next time,” he snapped, and the call ended with a click that echoed in her ears. Mila sat in silence, the weight of his anger settling over her like a thick fog. She felt small and lost, the love she once felt now tangled in confusion for his seemingly random anger and hurt from his harsh words. And yet, despite it all, she found herself hoping—hoping that tomorrow would bring a gentler version of him, hoping for just one more chance to make things right.
based on the song "1 step forward, 3 steps back" by Olivia Rodrigo
