Chapter 51: The Embrace

"Ursula, Matthew's here," Dylan's voice crackled with excitement.

"Go see him," Ursula replied, her voice was a whisper of resignation.

The line went dead, and Ursula caught the tail end of Matthew's voice, "Ready for dinner?"

When Timothy entered, he found Ursula lost in thought, her usual spark dimmed.

"Hey, Ursula..."

She blinked away her reverie, masking her pain with a practiced smile. "You're here. How's it going?"

"Just arrived. How's the foot?" Timothy glanced at the bandaged limb.

"It's nothing serious, just a sprain." Ursula brushed off her discomfort.

"Not hungry?" Timothy nodded toward the untouched meal.

"That? I forgot about it," Ursula lied, her gaze flitting away from the meal Matthew had sent.

"Let me toss it." Timothy offered, noting the quality of the meal, a delicacy from the south, while they were in the north. Someone had gone to great lengths for her.

"No, I'm not hungry." Ursula protested weakly.

"Eat something. I'll grab us both something," Timothy insisted, leaving before she could argue.

Left alone, Ursula's facade crumbled. Her phone buzzed with Dylan's message: Matthew's taking me back.

She replied with a hollow "congratulations" and turned the phone off. Her heart felt like it was missing a piece, an emptiness that seemed to grow with each moment passing by.

Timothy returned, lightening the mood with his humor. Ursula played along, but her laughter was hollow.

"If you're unhappy, don't fake it," Timothy said gently.

"No, I'm fine," Ursula insisted, but Timothy's embrace told her he knew better. She leaned into his comfort, fighting back tears.

Just as she was about to break down, a reminder of her strength stopped her. She pushed away, smiling, "I'm okay, really."

Their moment was interrupted by Dylan and Matthew's arrival, teasing them about the intimate scene they'd walked in on.

"Interrupting and still entering," Timothy quipped, unfazed by the sudden company.
When Dylan and Matthew unexpectedly dropped by, Ursula clenched her fist within her sleeve, masking her tension with a polite smile. "What a surprise, Dylan. What's up?"

"Just checking on you," Dylan said with a smirk. "Couldn't shake the worry, so I dragged Matthew along. Bad timing?"

Matthew's piercing gaze lingered on Ursula, who avoided his eyes. He gave a noncommittal grunt in response, his expression was unreadable.

Dylan playfully warned Timothy, "Careful now, Timothy. Ursula's my girl. Don't stir up trouble, or she'll have to ignore you."

Timothy raised his hands in mock surrender. "You win, Dylan."

Ursula straightened, trying to gauge how much they'd witnessed. "How long have you been here?"

"Just caught the tail end of your cozy moment," Dylan blurted out, causing Ursula's cheeks to burn, not from embarrassment but discomfort.

Dylan teased her further, "Look at you blush!"

"Stop it, Dylan," Ursula protested, her discomfort growing.

Timothy stepped in, "Dylan, as her friend, you shouldn't tease Ursula. She's got a boyfriend now, remember?"

Dylan shot back, "And I have Matthew. Stand up for me, will you?"

Matthew cut the banter short, "We should let Ursula rest."

His words cast a chill in the room, and as they left, Ursula couldn't bring herself together to even look at him. Dylan's chatter faded, replaced by the aroma of Li's Currywurst from the discarded lunchbox.

"Why would someone toss out such good food?" Dylan mused, lamenting the waste of a beloved dish.

Matthew's mood darkened at the mention, but he masked it quickly. "If you want it, we'll go now."

Dylan's spirits lifted, interpreting Matthew's offer as a sign of affection.