AFTER MATH

The drive to my house was painfully quiet.

Zephyr kept both hands on the steering wheel.

he looked annoyed the whole time.

I hated silence.

Especially this kind.

When we reached my house, he walked me to the front door.

Neither of us spoke until we stepped inside.

He finally turned to me.

"Who was that?"

I blinked.

"You know who he was."

"I know his name."

His voice remained calm.

"I want to know who he is to you."

I took a slow breath.

"Abe..."

I looked down at my hands.

"...is the ex I told you about."

Silence.

"The toxic one?"

I nodded.

"The one who used to make comments about your body?"

Another nod.

"The one who cheated?"

"Flirted with other women."

He exhaled slowly.

"I see."

I walked into the living room.

"I should've told you we were working together."

"You should have."

There wasn't any anger in his voice.

Just disappointment.

Somehow that hurt more.

"I didn't know how."

Before I could say anything else, Zephyr's eyes drifted toward the dining table.

The vase.

The sunflowers.

Beside it sat the folded handwritten note I'd absentmindedly brought home from the office.

His expression changed instantly.

He walked over and picked up the note.

I froze.

My heart sank.

"Diane..."

His voice was quieter now.

"Who sent these?"

I didn't answer immediately.

I couldn't.

Because he already knew.

He looked up at me.

"Abe?"

I closed my eyes for a second.

"...Yes."

"You kept them."

"It wasn't like that."

He laughed once.

A short, disbelieving laugh.

"You brought another man's flowers into the house."

"I didn't think"

"No."

He shook his head.

"I don't think you did."

He carefully placed the note back on the table.

His disappointment was written all over his face.

"I need some air."

"Zephyr"

"I said I need some air."

He walked toward the door.

I followed him.

"Please don't leave like this."

He stopped with his hand on the doorknob.

Without turning around, he spoke.

"I trust you, Diane."

"But tonight..."

He paused.

"...I'm not sure I trust him."

The door closed behind him.

And for the first time since Abe had walked back into my life...

I realized this wasn't just affecting me anymore.

It was beginning to affect the man who had done nothing except love me.

I barely slept that night.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the look on Zephyr's face.

Not anger.

Disappointment.

It replayed over and over until dawn finally crept through my bedroom curtains.

I sat on the edge of my bed, rubbing my temples.

Everything had become a mess.

Abe.

The flowers.

The gala.

Zephyr walking away.

I couldn't keep pretending this would fix itself.

Someone had to hear exactly how I felt.

And that someone was Abe.

I grabbed my phone.

My thumb hovered over his contact for a few seconds before I finally pressed Call.

It rang twice.

"Morning, Diane."

His voice sounded...happy.

Like hearing from me had already made his day.

It irritated me instantly.

"Don't."

A pause.

"...Don't what?"

"Don't sound happy that I called."

The smile disappeared from his voice.

"What happened?"

I laughed bitterly.

"You happened."

Silence.

I stood and walked toward the window.

"You had absolutely no right."

"Diane—"

"No."

I cut him off.

"You embarrassed me."

"I wasn't trying to."

"You antagonized my boyfriend."

"I was just talking."

"You were provoking him."

Another silence.

Longer this time.

Then he sighed.

"I'll admit I pushed too far."

"You think?"

"I was jealous."

"I don't care."

The words came out colder than I intended.

"I don't care why you did it."

I tightened my grip on the phone.

"And the flowers?"

"I wanted you to smile."

"They caused a fight."

"I didn't know—"

"You don't get to do things like that anymore."

He didn't answer.

So I continued.

"You lost that privilege years ago."

His breathing became audible through the phone.

"I know."

"No, Abe."

My voice softened slightly.

"I don't think you do."

Because if he understood...

He would've left me alone.

He would've respected the life I'd built.

Instead he kept pulling me backward.

Back toward memories.

Back toward emotions I'd spent years burying.

"There is nothing left between us."

The words hurt more than I expected.

Maybe because a part of me wished they weren't necessary.

"You have to stop."

"Diane..."

"No."

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat.

"I'm asking you to let me go."

Silence.

Then finally—

"Can you honestly tell me you've completely forgotten us?"

I closed my eyes.

Wrong question.

Very wrong question.

Because forgetting had never been the problem.

Remembering was.

"Abe."

I took a slow breath.

"This isn't about whether I remember."

He didn't interrupt.

"It's about accepting that some things end."

His voice dropped almost to a whisper.

"I don't want them to."

"I know."

"I still love you."

The confession hit me square in the chest.

For a second...

I couldn't breathe.

Five years.

Five years apart.

And hearing those words still affected me.

I hated that.

I hated myself for it.

I forced my voice to remain steady.

"I don't want to hear that again."

"Diane"

"I'm serious."

I wiped away a tear before it could fall.

"Forget about us."

Another long silence.

Then, quietly

"...I can't."

My heart ached.

"Then learn."

Before he could answer, I ended the call.

The moment the line disconnected, I burst into tears.

Not because I wanted him back.

But because letting go of your first love even years later was never as easy as people made it sound.

After calming down, I called Zephyr.

Once.

No answer.

Twice.

Straight to voicemail.

I sighed and left my phone on the kitchen counter.

I didn't blame him.

Not after last night.

Still...

The silence hurt.

I spent the next few hours trying to distract myself.

Cleaning.

Reading emails.

Anything to keep from staring at my phone every five minutes.

By early afternoon, it finally rang.

Zephyr Calling...

I answered immediately.

"Hi."

His voice sounded tired.

"Hey."

"I've been calling."

"I know."

"I'm sorry."

I leaned against the counter.

"Are you okay?"

A pause.

"I needed time."

"I understand."

Another silence.

Then—

"I'm not angry with you."

Relief washed through me.

"But I am uncomfortable."

"I know."

"Diane..."

His voice softened.

"I trust you."

"I would never cheat on you."

"I believe you."

I closed my eyes.

"But your ex clearly hasn't accepted that we're together."

I didn't know what to say.

Because he was right.

"I handled last night badly," he continued.

"I almost let him get under my skin."

"He was trying to."

"I know."

A small sigh escaped him.

"I just..."

He hesitated.

"I don't want to compete with another man for the woman I love."

The words broke something inside me.

"You shouldn't have to."

"No."

He spoke gently.

"But I need you to set clearer boundaries."

"I will."

"I mean it."

"So do I."

Another pause.

Finally...

"We're okay."

I smiled through the tears gathering in my eyes.

"We are?"

"We are."

The knot in my chest loosened.

"Thank you."

"I'll pick you up for dinner tomorrow?"

"I'd like that."

"So would I."

When the call ended, I felt lighter.

Not completely.

But enough.

Enough to believe things could still be fixed.