Chapter 10
290words
In the afternoon, I received his call, his voice sounding exhausted: "Jessica moved out."
"What?"
"She found out. About Naomi," Liam said. "Credit card statements, phone records, she discovered it all. We had a huge fight yesterday, and today she moved out."
I didn't know what to say. Leo and Mason also gathered around, shocked upon hearing this news.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.
"I don't know," Liam finally said. "I thought I would feel relieved, but now I just feel empty. All her things in the apartment are gone, suddenly just... there's nothing left."
"Do you want to come out?" Leo asked. "We could have a drink with you."
"No need," Liam's voice was soft. "I need to be alone for a while. Thank you guys."
The call ended.
The three of us looked at each other helplessly.
"Will he be okay?" Mason asked worriedly.
"I don't know," I said. "After ending a three-year relationship, no one would easily be 'okay'."
That night, I sat on the couch, staring at Alex's profile picture on my phone screen.
He had sent another message: "Miss you."
Two simple words. Simple, direct, lethal.
My fingers hovered over the screen, hesitating. Delete? Reply? Or continue pretending I didn't see it?
The Brooklyn night view outside the window blurred into a mass of light and shadow. I recalled Liam's weary voice after leaving Jessica, remembered Leo crying while watching a virtual streamer, and thought of Mason's courage as he trembled while pressing the send button.
They were all trying to change. And me?
I was still here, staring at those two words, waiting for something.
