But that wasn’t who Ody was tonight.
He stared at her name on the screen, thumb hovering. His stomach turned. He typed, deleted, typed again. Nothing felt right. Nothing felt like something a good boyfriend would say. Because the truth was, he didn’t feel like one. Not after Mano and Kash. Not after the way his own heart had reacted to something he still wasn’t ready to admit.
He sent a short message. The safest lie he could manage. Then set the phone face down before he could see her reply. He sat on the edge of the bed, head in his hands. And for the first time that night, he felt it. What he had done.
His phone buzzed.
Mano: Talked to Ranya. What time are we leaving tomorrow?
The message hit him like a punch. His stomach dropped, his throat tightened. A wave of guilt washed over him, stronger thanbefore. Guilt for what he had done with Kash. And worse, the shame of who he had been thinking about while doing it.
His fingers shook as he typed.Around 9:30
Mano: Got it
Ody locked his phone and set it aside, staring at the wall like that could stop what he felt. It didn’t. Nothing did. Eventually, exhaustion dragged him into a restless half-sleep that felt more like floating than resting.
By sunrise, he was awake again, numb and heavy. He got dressed, zipped up his suitcase, and drove toward Anna’s house, trying to steady the guilt that kept rising in his throat.
“Hey there, sweetheart, good morning,” Anna’s mother greeted him warmly when he stepped inside.
Ody forced a smile. “Good morning.”
The warmth in her voice hit him like a punch. He didn’t deserve it. He shouldn’t even be standing here.
Anna rushed around the bedroom gathering the last of her things while her mother hovered proudly in the hallway, fussing over details like she always did.
“What time does the ferry leave?” she asked.
“In two hours,” Ody replied, his voice steady even though his stomach twisted.
“You have everything? Tickets, money, IDs?”
Her father stepped out, smiling. “Good morning, son.”
“Good morning, Mr. Filippos,” Ody said politely.
The word son hit harder than anything else. He looked at them and felt sick. These were the people who trusted him with their daughter. Who welcomed him into their home, who believed he loved her the right way.
“Hurry up, Anna,” her father called.
“Coming!” she shouted from her room.
Ody stood there pretending everything was normal while guilt piled on his chest. Every smile they gave him, every bit of warmth, every parental fussing made him feel smaller, dirtier.
Her parents kept reminding them to call when they arrived, telling him to be careful, take care of her, and enjoy the trip. Ody nodded at all of it. He didn’t trust his voice not to crack.
He picked up her suitcase, heavy and oversized, and followed her parents to the elevator. The moment the doors closed, Ody let out a heavy breath. He felt awful. Truly awful. Like he didn’t belong in that apartment or in their trust anymore. And walking out with Anna beside him made the guilt sink even deeper.
He kept his eyes on the road as they drove toward Papagou, but his thoughts were a storm he couldn’t quiet. Every time Anna leaned closer or brushed his arm with hers, the shame twisted inside him harder. He forced himself to smile, to answer her small talk, to breathe normally. He failed at all three.
By the time they reached Mano’s neighborhood, Ody’s stomach felt tight and hollow.
Meanwhile, Ranya had already arrived at Mano’s place after taking the subway. The apartment was quiet, the early morning light still soft through the balcony curtains.
They sat together on the couch, and she shifted closer with a slow, teasing grin. “Do we have time?” she whispered, brushing her lips against his jaw.
Mano smirked, his hand sliding under her panties. “What do you think?”
