“Right,” she said, dhaving the word out.
sieme ditched between us, heavy and uncontestable.
“Well,” she said finally, her voice cooling. “I’m glad you’re keeping him company while he’s in the city. But I’m sure you understand that Alex and are in a really important stage of our relationship
I quickly
“Good,” she said, her time sharpening ever so slightly. “I knew you’d get it. Have a great evening, Lauren
“You too.” 1 and weakly befine the line went dead.
I stated at the phone in my hand, my mind racing
When Alex called me later that night, I didn’t answe
The
next time I saw him, it was planned I was walking through the park on my way home cm work when I heard his voice.
I turned to see him jogging toward me, his cat flapping behind him.
*ides.” I said, stopping reluctant
Been trying to reach you,” he said, slightly out of breath.
sali, sorry.” I said, avoiding his gaze. “Works beesrazy.”
He frmined, trudying me. “Is everything okay?”
“I’m fine, 1 said quickly.
Are you sure?” be pressed. “You’ve been distant lately.”
I hesitated, weighing my words carefully, “Sophia called me ”
His own lifted in surprise. She did
I nodded. She seems concerned”
He sighed, running a hand though his hair. I’ll talk to he
“You should.” I said firmly. “Ales, I can’t be the cause of tension between you two.“”
T’ou’re not,” he said quiddy.
“Maybe not intentionally,” I said, my voice solter now. “But we both know this isn’t just…, friending
He looked away, his jaw tightening
*It’s not fair to her,” I continued “Dr to me.”
“What about me?” he asked, his voice rising slightly. “What am I supposed to do, Lauren? Pretend you don’t matter to me?
I stared at him, my chetightening “You’re the one who chose this, Alex. You chose her”
Hand what if I chose wrong?
me like a freight train, leaving me breathless.
\\“Don’t do this.” 1 said, day voire beraking
*Don’t.” I said again, stepping back Golome, Alex Figure out what you want. But leave me out of in.”
turned and walked away, my brant pounding in my chest.
That night, I sat on the fire escape, staring at the city lights and trying to make sense of it all,
Alex’s words echoed in my mind: “What if I chose wrong?”
Bet no matter how many times I replayed the conversation, I knew one thing for certain
Fouldn’t keep letting him pull me back intohisobi
It was time to break free.
Sophia wasn’t one besit quietly when umething by! right, She had a polished air of confidence, the landol compoune that made her the center of attention in a
And Alex’s behavies had been anything but sobre-
scared with his dated expressing wedding planning meetings, the my hit home would light up with mensage that he’d racay from her view. At first, the brashed it
Hi then the noticed his most shift after hips to New York. He came hack quieter, me distant, his answers her prestions shower than stat
The beraking poket come me peening as they sat together athen dining room table, renderingile pr
toyoni think we need to indude de Peerud de askeit, het pen porondover the Tat
ales planced up from his place, shed as though he hadn’t had the sal
“The lentett.” che isprated, hei hann
20h Yeah, men,” he said vagirly, his pare already chiting back in the screen.
She passed an eyelem, her patience wearing thin. “Allende
“Real” he said, finall meeting het pare “Ir knabing important.
Sophia Irined back in her chai, foldingħin arms. “Is this the same “hind you’ve been seating and calling every other day?—
ider’s expernom fleckered–an almost imperceptible rack in his composure. “What are you talking about?”
we earth what I’m talking abert, Ales,” she said, her voler sharp, “You’ve been afferent lately. Distant. And I can’t help but notice in abways seems to happen alter you’serbeem:
plume down on the table, “Sophia, you‘ be overthinking this.”
*km 17” she shot back, hei eyes tentang “Terane from where I’m thing, a seem like there’s something–or someone you’re not belling me about.”
the denunded “aho is she?”
Ajen hesitated, and that hesitation was all the confirmation the needed
Hetan and the ough I ham, avoiding bei gaze. “We’ve been friends for years, Sophia That’s al
exepeated, laughing binnity. “You expect me to believe that after everything I’ve seen
“It’s the mouth,” he insisted
“Then why didn’t you tell me you’ve been seeing her?”
Bila makom wat bouches than he intended, and the wards bure in the alt between them like a challenge
Sophia’s eyes blazed. “So it’s my fault you’ve been toeslag around behind my back??!
inealing around,” Alex shut back. “I just didn’t think it was aligdeal”
tepestrit, lai voie rising. “Do you even hear youtuelt right now?”
He sighed, pinching the le löpe of his nose “Suphia, you’re making this into something it’s not ”
“30_Alen,” she said her sake codd. “You’ve already done thr
The fight a scalatedfans, uning deeper than the last.
Sopitur accused Aira of being entionally infaridul, of prioritizing Laurenowy hey, of undermining the toast they’d built in their relationship.
Alra nemndried des training that nothing inappropriate hat happened, that Sophia’s Imecurities weer clouding her judgment, that she was blowing things out of proposition
at than as passent deporton, Alex band linnell questasting his own banda.
Bern in desperate to stay ostutidie Laurent Why haihe gut of his way to see her, to hear her voice, so keep out in his life?
natty someone who dwun’t know what – at who–they want.”
dst the datalimatly cut to having Alex alone in the silence of her apartment.
The next day, Alen dat al lank desk, Mating
da sporadilaets on his neapster wires. Ilanand war a tangled me of pull, sh, and something he could’t quite name
Bellenght about the bad in toplia’s eprawdeen she walked out, the hurt and lentapal that had beeldeed actin her face.
