BREAK UP

CHAPTER 1

Amelia sat across from Ryan, her fingers wrapped around the edge of her coffee cup. The café was noisy, but between them, there was nothing. Just silence.

Ryan exhaled, shifting in his seat. He looked uncomfortable, like he wanted to be anywhere but here.

“I think we should break up.”

The words hit Amelia like a slap. For a second, she just stared at him, waiting for him to take it back. To laugh and say he was joking. But he didn’t. He just sat there, avoiding her eyes, tapping his fingers against the table.

She swallowed hard. “What?”

Ryan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t think this is working anymore.”

Her chest tightened. “You don’t think?”

He finally looked at her then, and she wished he hadn’t. There was no sadness in his eyes. No regret. Just that same distant expression he’d been giving her for months.

“I feel trapped, Amelia.” His voice was calm. “We’ve been together for three years, and it’s just... too much.”

Too much.

The words made her stomach turn.

She thought back to all the times he’d canceled their plans last minute. The times he’d barely glanced at her photography, mumbling a half-hearted looks nice before returning to his phone. The way he never said I love you first anymore.

She had ignored it all, convinced it was just a rough patch. But now, it was clear. The rough patch had been the end, and she had been too blind to see it.

Her throat burned, but she refused to let him see her break. “So that’s it? You just want out?”

He shrugged. “I think it’s for the best.”

For who? Certainly not for her.

Amelia let out a shaky breath, gripping the cup tighter. A part of her wanted to ask if there was someone else. If he had been pulling away because he had already moved on. But what would be the point? It wouldn’t change anything.

Ryan had already decided. And she wasn’t going to beg.

She pushed back her chair, the legs scraping against the floor. He blinked, as if surprised she wasn’t arguing, but she refused to give him that satisfaction.

“Okay.”

That was all she said. No tears or pleading. Just a simple word before she grabbed her bag and walked out the door.

Amelia walked without direction, cars honked, people laughed, someone was arguing over the phone nearby. But it all felt distant, like she wasn’t really there.

Ryan was gone. Just like that. Three years, thrown away in a fifteen-minute conversation.

She stopped at a crosswalk, her fingers tightening around the strap of her bag. A group of teenagers stood beside her, talking about an upcoming concert. A couple held hands, sharing a milkshake from the diner on the corner.

It should have been her and Ryan.

A sharp ache spread through her chest. Had she been that easy to forget? Had she meant so little to him?

Her phone buzzed, it was a text from her friend Sarah.

Sarah: “Hey, girl! Just heard about you and Ryan. So sorry. Want to grab coffee and talk about it?”

Amelia scoffed, she murmured, we haven't even been apart for a day but everyone knows we are no longer together, was he that eager to throw me out?

Amelia hesitated. A part of her wanted to be alone, to sit in the dark and let the hurt swallow her whole. But another part of her knew she needed Sarah right now.

Amelia: “I’m actually at the coffee shop right now. Can you meet me here?”

Sarah’s reply came in seconds.

Sarah: “On my way. Don’t move.”

Amelia exhaled, turning on her heels and heading back toward the café. She ordered a caramel latte and sat by the window, watching cars pass by.

She shouldn’t be this heartbroken. Relationships end all the time. People move on. So why did it feel like something inside her had been ripped apart?

The chair across from her scraped against the floor as Sarah plopped down, her bright pink hair a mess from running.

“I swear, if I ever see Ryan, I’m throwing my drink in his face.” She paused, frowning. “Actually, no. Coffee’s too good to waste. Maybe a milkshake.”

Despite the heaviness in her chest, Amelia let out a small laugh. “That would be a crime. You love milkshakes.”

Sarah smirked. “True. Fine, I’ll just flip him off.”

The weight on Amelia’s shoulders eased a little. She wasn’t okay, but at least she wasn’t alone.

Amelia stirred her coffee, watching the caramel dissolve into the frothy milk. Sarah sat across from her, arms folded, eyes scanning her face like she was waiting for a meltdown.

“Say something,” Sarah finally said, tilting her head. “Scream, cry, threaten to shave your head or anything. You just got dumped.”

Amelia sighed, setting her cup down. “What do you want me to say? That I didn’t see it coming? That I feel like an idiot for thinking Ryan and I had a future?”

“Yes.” Sarah nodded firmly. “That’s exactly what I want you to say. Because, babe, you deserve better than some indecisive, emotionally unavailable man-child.”

Amelia let out a dry laugh. “Wow. Tell me how you really feel.”

Sarah leaned forward, lowering her voice. “Okay, but for real. You spent three years supporting that guy, putting up with his flakiness, dealing with his nonsense, and for what? So he could ‘feel trapped’?” She rolled her eyes. “Screw that. You should be out there, having fun.”

Amelia arched a brow. “And by fun, you mean what?”

A slow grin spread across Sarah’s face, and suddenly, Amelia knew she wasn’t going to like what came next.

“A blind date.”

Amelia groaned. “Sarah—”

“No, no, hear me out!” Sarah grabbed her hand, eyes practically glowing with excitement. “It’s just one night. No expectations. No pressure. Just you, a fancy dinner, and a ridiculously attractive older man.”

Amelia blinked. “Older?”

Sarah waved a hand. “Relax, he’s not ancient. He’s mature. A real man. Not some immature guy who’s scared of commitment.”

Amelia hesitated. Dating was the last thing on her mind. But at the same time… maybe Sarah was right. Maybe she did need a distraction, something to pull her out of this miserable hole Ryan had left her in.

She exhaled. “Fine. Who is he?”

Sarah’s grin widened. “His name is Ethan Blackwood. Successful businessman. Smart. Handsome. Charming. Basically the opposite of Ryan in every way.”

Amelia narrowed her eyes. “This isn’t some creepy setup, is it?”

Sarah gasped, clutching her chest. “How dare you? Do you not trust my matchmaking skills?”

“No.”

Sarah laughed. “Fair. But trust me on this one. He’s a catch. So… what do you say?”

Amelia drummed her fingers against the table, weighing her options.

She could sit at home, eating ice cream and stalking Ryan’s social media like a loser.

Or she could get dressed up, go out, and remind herself that life didn’t end just because her relationship did.

She picked up her coffee and took a slow sip, then set it down with a smirk.

“When’s the date?”

Sarah squealed. “Tonight.”

Amelia choked. “Tonight?”

“You said yes! No take-backs!”

Amelia groaned, covering her face with her hands. What had she just gotten herself into?

They left the coffee shop, and Amelia retired home.

Later that day, as she curled up on her bed, scrolling mindlessly through her phone, a message popped up from Sarah.

Sarah: "Don’t even think about canceling. You’re not bailing on this date because of that scumbag. Get up, dress up, and own the night."

Amelia exhaled sharply, tossing her phone aside.

Was she really doing this?

She slid off the bed and walked to the mirror. Her reflection stared back—messy curls, tired eyes, lips slightly parted as if even her own body was unsure of what came next.

She reached up, smoothing a hand over her face.

Ryan had always liked her bare-faced, simple. Said she didn’t need makeup. And yet, he had left her for someone who wore it like armor.

She scoffed. Idiot.

This wasn’t about Ryan.

Tonight was about her.

Fun. Flirting. Maybe even a little trouble.

She squared her shoulders.

Screw it. She was going.