The Weight of Silver

The Olympic podium gleamed under the stadium lights, but Jessica could only hear the pounding of her heart as the silver medal was draped around her neck. She had come so close—one point short of gold. Emma stood beside her, the American anthem ringing through the air as she beamed, a gold medal resting against her chest. Jessica kept her expression neutral, clapping along, but inside, she felt the sting of her mistake.

She had lost because of one bad throw in shot put. But wasn’t that life? One mistake could cost everything.

The cheers of the crowd echoed around her, but her eyes searched for her people. And there they were—Leanna, Kevin, Olivia, Hannah, and Ryan—watching from the stands, their faces beaming with pride. It didn’t matter that she had taken second place. To them, she had already won.

******************************

Jessica returned home to Belize. The sound of crashing waves had become Jessica’s only true comfort. The minute she stepped off the plane, she felt the tension in her shoulders ease. The gang had accepted her invitation, arriving a few days after her competition, eager to escape their lives and see the world she had built for herself.

Her beach bungalow was small, white, and simple, shabby chic, as if lifted from a dream of another life. There was almost nothing electronic inside, save for a phonograph with exactly three albums, all of them Ryan’s.

Kevin whistled as he looked around. "Damn, Jess. If I knew you were living in paradise, I’d have come looking for you sooner."

Jessica smirked, opening a fresh bottle of tequila and pouring shots. "It has its perks."

That night, they sat on her patio, waves rolling lazily onto the shore as they drank margaritas and laughed about old times. For a moment, it felt like nothing had changed. No conspiracies, no running, no secrets.

Then Leanna dropped the bomb. "Project Prometheus is still active."

The conversation fell silent. The crackling of the fire pit and the distant hum of the ocean were the only sounds left.

Jessica swallowed, setting her drink down. "Where?"

"Somewhere outside the U.S.," Leanna said, swirling the liquid in her glass. "I’ve been tracking movement in private biotech firms. People connected to Vanguard. There’s a pattern, and it’s pointing to something big. Bigger than before."

Hannah exhaled sharply. "You’re serious? We’re really going to do this again?"

"No one's saying we have to do anything," Olivia said cautiously. "But if they’re still experimenting—"

"Then someone has to stop them," Leanna finished.

Jessica rubbed her temples, feeling the weight of the moment pressing down on her. "And what exactly do you expect us to do, Leanna? We’re not spies. We don’t have government backing. Hell, we barely made it out alive last time."

"That didn’t stop us before."

"And look where it got me!" Jessica shot back, voice rising. "I lost everything. I had to start over. And I’m supposed to throw myself back into that hell?"

Leanna didn’t answer right away. Instead, she simply looked at Jessica, her expression unreadable. "You’re the one who said you didn’t want anyone else to go through what you did."

Jessica looked away, staring out at the ocean. The waves rolled in, endless and unconcerned with the lives of those who stood before them.

"I don’t know if I can do this again," she admitted. "I don’t even know if I want to."

******************************

The Next Morning, Jessica took a long walk along the shoreline before dawn, her thoughts tangled. The rhythmic crashing of the waves was comforting, yet it couldn’t drown out the lingering tension from the night before.

She barely noticed Ryan until he was walking beside her.

"You disappeared on us," he said, keeping his voice light, but there was something underneath it—something unsaid.

"Needed to clear my head," she replied, her voice softer than she intended.

They continued in silence, the water lapping at their feet. It was familiar, but not quite right. Too much time had passed. Too many things had been left unresolved.

Ryan finally broke the silence. "So… you invited us all here. Did you think we wouldn’t bring up what happened?"

Jessica hesitated. "I didn’t know what I expected. I just… I wanted to see you all again."

He let out a soft chuckle. "And yet, you ghosted us."

She flinched. "I didn’t have a choice."

"Maybe not. But we deserved better than silence. I deserved better than silence."

Jessica stopped walking, turning to face him. "You think it was easy for me? Leaving everyone? Leaving you?"

Ryan exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don’t know what I think, Jess. I spent years wondering what I did wrong. If you ever thought about me."

Jessica looked away, the words catching in her throat. Then, hesitantly, she reached for his hand, an old habit she hadn’t let go of.

For a moment, he didn’t move. Then, after what felt like an eternity, he sighed and let his fingers lace with hers.

She squeezed his hand lightly. "I never stopped thinking about you."

Ryan hesitated. Then, quietly, he said, "Jess... I have a girlfriend."

The words hit harder than she expected. Jessica pulled her hand away slowly, nodding. "Right. Of course."

Ryan sighed. "It’s complicated."

Jessica swallowed. "It always is."

They stood there, the ocean rolling in around their feet, as unspoken feelings settled like sand between them.

******************************

That night, the group gathered around the fire again. But the mood had shifted. Kevin cleared his throat, glancing at Hannah before taking her hand. "So… uh, we have some news. We’re engaged."

Jessica blinked, taken aback. "Wait, what?"

Olivia grinned. "No way! When did this happen?"

Hannah laughed, resting her head on Kevin’s shoulder. "A couple months ago. We were going to tell you guys sooner, but, well... circumstances."

Jessica forced a smile, swallowing down the emotions she didn’t quite understand. Everyone had moved on. And now Leanna was asking them to risk it all again.

Jessica took a deep breath, staring at the flames. The embers crackled and danced, much like the memories that refused to fade. She had promised herself she wouldn’t go back. But if Project Prometheus was still out there… could she really walk away?

She didn’t know. And that terrified her the most.