Kitchen Confrontation
The kitchen felt smaller than usual, or maybe it was just the weight of the silence pressing against the walls. Mia leaned against the counter, arms crossed, eyes dark with frustration. Across from her, Eli shifted nervously, avoiding her gaze as he fiddled with the edge of a dish towel.
"So, you just decided to forget the time entirely?" Mia’s voice was low but sharp, each word carefully measured.
Eli swallowed hard. "I wasn’t trying to make it seem like I was out later than I actually was. I just lost track—okay?"
"Lost track? You told me you were with Sarah all evening. I checked, Eli. She said you left hours ago."
His jaw twitched. "Look, Sarah left early, but I was with some other people afterward. It’s not like I was hiding anything important."
"Not important enough to mention, huh?" Mia shook her head, the disappointment cutting deeper than any harsh words could.
"It’s not like you trust me at all," Eli snapped, a defensive edge creeping into his tone. "Why dig so deep over a couple of hours?"
"Because truth is the one thing I thought we didn’t have to question," Mia said, stepping forward, her voice softening yet full of hurt. "If you’re out there pretending, what else am I supposed to believe?"