Chapter 6: The Conversation

Matt hesitated for only a second before answering.

“I went to see a friend,” he said.

His tone was even, controlled, like nothing about the day had been unusual. But there was a brief flicker in his eyes before he looked away, and for a moment, he wondered if Ella noticed.

Maya leaned back on the couch, studying him like she always did when she felt something was off. “A friend?” she repeated, a teasing edge in her voice. “Since when do you disappear without saying anything?”

Matt gave a small shrug. “It wasn’t a big deal.”

Ella spoke before Maya could continue. “I actually came to see you.”

Matt turned to her properly now, his attention shifting. “You did?”

He walked further into the room, setting his keys down on the table. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

There was no irritation in his voice—just mild confusion.

Ella tilted her head slightly. “I did. I sent you a message.”

Matt frowned and reached for his phone. The screen lit up, and as he unlocked it, he saw them immediately—her messages stacked one after the other.

Are you home?

We need to talk.

I’m nearby, I might just come over.

His stomach tightened.

The timestamps told him everything. She had sent them while he was at the park… while he was with Jordy.

“Oh,” he said quietly. “I didn’t see them.”

Ella nodded once. “I figured.”

The room felt a little different now—less relaxed, more focused.

Matt glanced toward the hallway. “Do you want to talk in my room?”

Ella stood up without hesitation. “Yeah.”

Maya’s eyes moved between them, clearly curious now, but she didn’t say anything. She just leaned back again, watching as they walked away.

Matt led the way down the hall, his thoughts already starting to spiral. He opened his door and stepped inside, holding it for Ella before closing it behind them.

The soft click of the door shutting felt louder than it should have.

Ella moved toward the chair by his desk and sat down, smoothing her hands over her jeans. Matt stayed standing for a second, unsure of where to position himself, before leaning lightly against the wall.

The silence stretched.

“So,” he said finally, trying to keep things normal. “What did you want to talk about?”

Ella didn’t answer immediately.

She let out a slow breath, her shoulders rising and falling slightly, like she had been preparing for this moment for a while.

Then she looked up at him.

“What do you think about our relationship?”

Matt blinked, caught off guard. “What?”

“Our relationship,” she repeated. “What do you think about it?”

Matt straightened slightly, his mind scrambling to catch up. That wasn’t what he expected at all.

“I mean…” he started, then paused. “It’s good. We’re good. Everything’s been going smoothly.”

Even as the words left his mouth, something about them felt hollow.

Ella’s gaze didn’t soften. “Smoothly?”

“Yeah,” he said, though now he sounded less certain. “Isn’t it?”

Ella looked down for a moment, her fingers lacing together tightly before she looked back up.

“I don’t think it is,” she said quietly.

Matt felt a small knot form in his chest. “What do you mean?”

Ella shifted slightly in her seat. “I feel like you haven’t really been present lately.”

Matt didn’t respond.

She continued, her voice calm but firm. “When we first started dating, you were different. You paid attention. You listened. You showed up. But now…” she paused, searching for the right words. “Now it feels like something else has your focus.”

Matt swallowed.

His mind betrayed him immediately—flashing back to the park, to Jordy’s face, to the way he smiled, the way everything had felt so easy.

He stayed silent.

Ella noticed.

“That’s what I mean,” she said softly. “You’re here, but you’re not really here.”

Matt looked away, running a hand through his hair. “It’s not like that,” he said, though his voice lacked confidence.

“Then what is it like?” Ella asked.

He didn’t have an answer.

The silence that followed was heavier this time.

After a moment, Matt sighed. “I’m sorry,” he said. “If I’ve made you feel that way… I didn’t mean to.”

Ella watched him carefully. “But you did.”

He nodded slightly. “Yeah.”

Another pause.

“I’m just… trying to sort things out,” Matt added quietly.

Ella’s expression shifted at that.

“Sort what out?”

Matt hesitated again.

There were a hundred things he could say, and none of them felt right. Saying too much would make things worse. Saying nothing wasn’t helping either.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “Just… things.”

Ella held his gaze, studying him like she was trying to read everything he wasn’t saying.

Then she nodded slowly.

“Okay,” she said.

Matt frowned slightly. “Okay?”

Ella took a steady breath. “I don’t want to feel like I’m the only one putting effort into this,” she said. “And right now… that’s how it feels.”

Matt didn’t interrupt.

“So I think,” she continued carefully, “we should take a break.”

The words hit harder than he expected.

“A break?” he repeated.

Ella nodded. “Yeah. Not because I don’t care,” she added quickly. “But because I do. And I don’t want to keep pretending everything’s fine when it’s not.”

Matt’s chest tightened.

“I think we both need time,” she said. “To figure out what we actually want. What we feel. And if this is still right.”

Matt stayed quiet.

Ella stood up slowly.

“When you figure it out,” she added softly, “you know where to find me.”

She gave him one last look—not angry, not cold. Just tired.

Then she walked past him, opened the door, and left.

The door closed behind her with a soft click.

And just like that, everything felt different.

---

Matt stood there for a few seconds, staring at the door like it might open again.

But it didn’t.

The silence settled in.

Heavy. Uncomfortable.

He let out a slow breath and moved toward his bed, sitting down at the edge first before leaning back fully.

He stared at the ceiling.

A break.

The words echoed in his head, over and over.

Ella wasn’t just his girlfriend.

She had been there from the beginning. She knew him better than most people did. She was easy to talk to. Comfortable. Familiar.

And now… things weren’t okay.

Matt closed his eyes briefly.

Somewhere along the way, something had shifted.

And he knew exactly when.

Jordy.

He exhaled slowly, rubbing his face with his hands.

He hadn’t planned any of this. He hadn’t gone to the club expecting to feel something new. He hadn’t expected to meet someone who would make him question everything so quickly.

But now here he was.

Lying on his bed, his relationship on pause, his thoughts completely tangled.

After a moment, he reached for his phone.

He stared at the screen for a few seconds before opening his messages.

Jordy.

He hesitated.

Then typed.

Matt: Can we talk?

He hovered over the send button for a second, then pressed it.

The message delivered instantly.

Matt dropped the phone onto his chest and stared at the ceiling again, his heart beating slightly faster than it should have.

He didn’t even know why he texted him.

Or maybe he did.

A few seconds passed.

Then his phone buzzed.

He picked it up quickly.

Jordy: About what?

Matt sat up slightly, running a hand through his hair again before typing.

Matt: Something happened.

The reply came almost immediately.

Jordy: What happened?

Matt paused, thinking about how to say it. Then he just typed it out.

Matt: Ella came over. We talked.

There was a longer pause this time before Jordy responded.

Jordy: And?

Matt swallowed slightly and continued.

Matt: She said she feels like I haven’t been present. Like I’ve been distant. She… asked for a break.

He stared at the message after sending it, his chest tight.

A few seconds later, his phone buzzed again.

Jordy: A break?

Matt: Yeah.

Another pause.

Matt found himself watching the screen, waiting.

Then—

Jordy: I don’t really understand why you’re telling me all this.

Matt blinked slightly at that.

He hadn’t thought about it.

He just… did it.

He typed slowly this time.

Matt: I don’t know. I just wanted to talk to someone.

There was a delay before Jordy replied again.

Jordy: If she asked for a break, then you should respect that.

Matt read the message carefully.

Another one came right after.

Jordy: It’s not like she broke up with you.

Matt leaned back slightly, exhaling.

That was true.

It wasn’t over.

It just… wasn’t okay either.

He typed a short reply.

Matt: Yeah. I know.

The conversation paused there for a moment.

Matt stared at the screen, unsure of what else to say.

---

On the other side, Jordy lowered his phone slowly.

He stared at the messages, reading them again.

A break.

He let out a quiet breath.

He should have felt… neutral.

Or concerned.

Or something normal.

But instead—

He felt light.

And that realization made him pause.

Jordy frowned slightly, sitting back against his bed.

Why do I feel like this?

He looked at the last message he sent.

It’s not like she broke up with you.

His grip on the phone tightened slightly.

He hadn’t meant anything by it.

Or maybe he had.

Jordy exhaled slowly and ran a hand through his hair.

He felt… relieved.

And that didn’t sit right with him.

For a moment, he considered sending another message. Something to balance it out. Something more careful.

But he didn’t.

Instead, he locked his phone and dropped it beside him.

He stared ahead, his thoughts drifting.

A break.

Things had changed.

And whether he wanted to admit it or not…

He was glad they did.