Chapter 3

The next morning, I woke up with a strange sense of calm. The storm of emotions from the night before had passed, leaving behind a quiet clarity. The decision was made. The path was set. There was no turning back, and for the first time in a long time, that felt liberating.

I was making breakfast when my phone buzzed on the counter. It was Liam.

I stared at his name on the screen, a knot tightening in my stomach. I let it ring. He was probably calling to tell me about his grand, heroic plan to follow Chloe to New York, expecting me to be thrilled.

A few minutes later, it buzzed again with a text.

'Hey, you up? The gang is going to the diner for breakfast to celebrate finishing our apps. You coming?'

I didn' t reply. The idea of sitting at a table with him and his friends, pretending like nothing was wrong, was unbearable.

He called again. This time, I answered, my voice carefully neutral.

"Hello?"

"Ava! There you are," he said, his voice cheerful and oblivious. "Did you see my text? We' re all heading to the diner. Get ready, I' ll pick you up in ten."

He didn' t ask if I wanted to go. He just assumed I would, like always.

"I' m not going, Liam."

There was a pause on the other end. "What? Why not? It' s a celebration."

"I' m busy," I said, keeping my voice flat.

"Busy with what? Come on, Ava, don' t be like this."

Before I could respond, I heard a soft, feminine voice in the background on his end.

"Is that Ava, Liam?"

It was Chloe.

"She says she' s not coming," Liam told her, his tone shifting to one of placating gentleness.

Then, Chloe' s voice came through the phone, closer this time, as if he' d put it on speaker or she' d taken it from him.

"Oh, Ava, hi! I' m sorry, I hope I' m not intruding. Liam was just so excited to celebrate with everyone. Please don' t be upset with him. I know he changed his plans last minute, but he was just worried about me. I get really anxious in new places."

Her voice was sweet, dripping with a feigned vulnerability that grated on my nerves. She was apologizing, but it wasn' t an apology. It was a subtle accusation, painting me as the one who was being difficult, the one making things awkward.

"I' m not upset," I said, my voice colder than I intended.

Liam' s voice cut back in, sharp and defensive. "Ava, what' s your problem? Chloe is just trying to be nice. She feels bad enough as it is. Can' t you just be happy for me for once?"

The injustice of his words stole my breath. Happy for him? He had shattered a promise we' d held for over a decade and publicly dismissed me, and now I was supposed to be happy about it?

"You have no idea what my problem is," I said, my voice low and shaking with suppressed anger.

"Whatever, Ava. If you' re going to be in a mood, then just stay home. Don' t ruin it for everyone else."

That was it. That was the final confirmation. He didn' t care about my feelings, my dreams, or our history. All he cared about was his new role as Chloe' s protector, and I was just an inconvenience.

"Fine," I said, my voice clear and steady now. "Have a great breakfast."

Before he could say another word, I hung up.

My hands were trembling. I opened my contacts, found his name, and hesitated for only a second before I pressed 'Block' . I did the same on every social media app. It was a small, digital action, but it felt monumental. It was a line drawn in the sand.

He was on his side, with Chloe.

I was on mine. Alone. And for the first time, I was ready for that.

I thought back to all the other times he had put someone else' s fleeting needs before our friendship. Little things, small compromises I had made over the years, always telling myself it wasn' t a big deal. The time he ditched our study session to help a girl he was crushing on with her project. The time he forgot my birthday because he was at a party he swore he' d leave early.

It was always Chloe, or someone like her. A girl who appeared helpless, who needed rescuing. I had never needed rescuing. I had been his partner, his equal. And it seemed that was a role he had grown tired of.