The Collapse Within the Silence
"Hello? Hello! There's someone unconscious here — the paramedics are taking him! When we checked his phone, the last call was with you. He has no one else saved. You need to come. It's serious!"
"Who? Who did I even talk to? What's going on?"
A lightbulb went off in my head.
Sunny.
"Okay, I'm coming! Which hospital?"
"He's being taken to Central Hospital. You can reach him there."
"Alright… I'm on my way."
Why had they called me?
Could he really have no one?
I wasn't in the state to talk to Leon. I didn't even try to explain — I just slammed the door and left.
I jumped into a taxi. Because of the awful traffic, it took me an hour to get there. All my calls went unanswered.
I rushed into the hospital.
"Excuse me, is there a patient named Sunny here?"
"Can I get the last name?"
"Sunny Sullivan."
"4th floor, room 305. He's resting."
"Okay, thank you."
When I entered the room, Sunny was asleep. It was a VIP room, which surprised me… yet still, no one had come for him.
"Valeria?"
"Did I wake you? Sorry — I tried to get here sooner but traffic and—"
"Thank you for coming."
His face looked calm… almost peaceful.
"Are you okay? What happened? I was really worried."
"My blood sugar dropped. Lately I… forget to eat."
"What do you mean? Never mind… alright, we'll be more careful from now on."
"We'll…? Are we moving in together?" he asked with a small smile.
"Yes. We're moving into that apartment."
"Your boyfriend didn't get mad? I'm surprised he let you."
"He's not my boyfriend. Actually… he's nothing. Don't worry."
I wondered why no one was here for him, but I didn't want to push.
"Get some rest. I'm here."
He was discharged shortly after. He really did look fine — just low blood sugar. Still, questions churned in my head. But did I even have the right to ask?
"Valeria… thank you for coming," he said with a quiet smile. "You don't even know me, yet you worried about me. That… means a lot."
I didn't know what to say. But the question gnawing at me finally spilled out.
"I was surprised when they called me. Do you really have no one else in your contacts? I mean… sorry if that sounds rude. I'm just curious."
"I…" he looked away, eyes drifting somewhere far. "I had to leave a lot behind."
"I get it. You don't have to explain… but you have a friend now."
We walked for a bit, then split ways. I didn't want to go back to Leon's place.
I checked into a small hostel nearby. I was so exhausted I fell asleep instantly.
Bzz bzz! Bzz bzzz!
"What the…?"
Only two hours had passed. I checked my phone:
28 missed calls.
30 messages.
All from Leon.
I hadn't told him anything…
I called back.
"Yes?"
"VALERIA ARE YOU OKAY? WHAT HAPPENED? WHY DIDN'T YOU ANSWER? WHERE ARE YOU?!"
"Calm down. I'm at the Boulevard Hotel. I just fell asleep."
"You left without a word!"
"Maybe I didn't want to see you. That's why I'm in a hotel."
I took a deep breath.
"Look, Leon… I think it's better if we don't see each other for a while."
"…You could've at least told me."
The mix of fear and anger in his voice hit me like a punch. He had been truly worried.
"I'm sorry. I'll come tomorrow to get my things."
"Alright."
He hung up.
Tomorrow, Sunny and I would meet the real estate agent and finalize the apartment.
I just hoped trusting him wasn't a mistake.
⸻
Leon's POV — After Valeria Left
The moment the door closed, the entire apartment fell silent. It was so sudden, so sharp… it felt like even the walls noticed she was gone.
For a few seconds, I just stood there, frozen. My fist was still halfway raised — like I had been about to throw something — but I didn't.
My breath felt like a weight on my chest.
What have I done?
I stepped back twice, then forward once… pacing without direction, breath uneven. Something had cracked — I felt it. The expression on Valeria's face — hurt mixed with anger — burned itself into my mind.
—Narrator—
He ran a hand through his hair, lowering his head.
"I didn't mean to yell…" he whispered to himself. Even his own voice sounded foreign.
After a moment he turned abruptly and began pacing the living room. Back and forth. Again and again. He grabbed his phone repeatedly, only to set it down each time. Every sentence he tried to type ended unfinished.
"She doesn't understand…" he muttered through clenched teeth. "She really… doesn't."
But the anger didn't last. Something heavier took its place: fear.
His jaw tightened. He had yelled because he thought she wasn't safe — but the truth was, he was angry at himself. Every time he felt like he couldn't protect her, he spiraled. And this time… he had lost control completely.
Ten minutes passed. Then twenty. Then forty.
At some point, he couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed his phone and called.
It rang… and rang… and rang.
She didn't answer.
"Please pick up…" he whispered.
"She wouldn't just… disappear on me," he said under his breath. "She wouldn't leave without saying anything…"
But she had.
What if she really wanted to leave?
What if he was losing her?
Time kept moving. Nearly two hours passed. One thought consumed him:
No voice.
No message.
No call.
"Where are you, girl…?"
The phone vibrated on the table. Leon didn't look up at first — he assumed it was him calling again.
But the vibration didn't stop. The rhythm was different. Another buzz.
His eyes snapped open.
When he checked the screen, his heart nearly stopped:
Valeria is calling.
For a moment the world froze. Shock, relief, panic — all tangled together. His hand trembled as he touched the screen.
"Finally." ... "FİNALLY" YES