"What is that?" Hazel snapped, eyes narrowing.
The shrill sound kept ringing—an old Nokia ringtone from the early 2000s. It pierced the quiet like a blade. Wren, who was usually indifferent to everything, flinched.
For the first time since they met, Wren didn't respond. She didn't flinch at Hazel's tone, didn't offer a witty comeback or annoyed glare. She just… ignored her.
Hazel's chest tightened. That small dismissal stung more than she cared to admit. A thousand little moments played back in her mind—Wren's quiet smiles, her steady presence, the comfort she brought just by existing nearby. And now? Silence. Cold and cutting.
But Hazel swallowed the ache, forcing herself to believe it must be something serious—something too private to explain out loud. Still, her heart hesitated.
