Chapter: Questions That Hurt

The sunset was falling slowly over the city when Olivia met with her friends on Merlyn's apartment terrace. It was a recent tradition, but a valuable one. Each meeting was a pause, a breath, a safe place. That day, she brought more than her sadness with her—she brought the letter.

They were sitting on cushions, surrounded by blankets, cookies, and cups of tea. The atmosphere was warm, intimate. Olivia pulled the letter from her bag carefully, as if afraid the paper might break in the air.

"I found this at Tom's parents' house," she said, breaking the silence. "It's a letter he wrote for me... in case he wasn't around anymore."

Their eyes settled on her with a mix of surprise and respect. Merlyn leaned in a little closer.

"Do you want to read it?"

Olivia hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Her voice trembled at first, but she held steady, and read every word. None of the girls interrupted. No one cried right away. They just listened.

When she finished, a deep silence took over the group. It was Alejandra who spoke first, her voice cracking.

"It's the most beautiful and saddest thing I've ever heard..."

"He loved you so much, Oli," Gloria added, taking her hand. "You can feel it in every word."

Olivia just nodded, pressing the paper tightly against her chest.

And then Merlyn, who had been silent the whole time, dropped the question:

"Don't you think it's strange that he wrote that... like he knew he was going to die?"

The air seemed to freeze for a second. Olivia looked up, surprised. The others stayed still too, unsure of what to say.

"What do you mean?" Olivia asked softly.

"I don't know..." Merlyn said, biting her lip. "It's just that... he always had that way of talking, didn't he? Like he was leaving breadcrumbs behind. Like he always knew he wouldn't stay long."

Alejandra frowned.

"Are you saying... that it was intentional?"

"No. I don't know. But... didn't you ever notice? He talked a lot about fate, about time, about not leaving things unsaid. It wasn't just that he was sensitive. It was... like he was prepared. Like he knew something was going to happen."

Gloria shook her head, but cautiously.

"That's a heavy thing to say, Mer. Maybe he was just someone who loved deeply... and understood that everything can end suddenly."

Olivia said nothing. Her mind was spinning in silence, going over old conversations, stray phrases, Tom's gestures that once seemed meaningless. Now everything had a different tint. A new shadow.

"Sometimes I looked at him and felt there was something he wasn't telling me," she whispered. "But I thought it was just part of who he was. Now... I don't know."

None of them spoke again for a while. They simply held her, sharing her confusion. The letter was there between them, like a heart beating outside the chest.

And though Tom's words were sweet and steady, they now also carried a mystery. One that Olivia might have to face sooner or later.