MasukBethThe door clicked shut.And the apartment went quiet in a way that felt unbearable.I lay there for a long time after that. Long enough for the sheets to cool. Long enough for the smell of steam and soap to fade. Long enough for the reality to sink in—not all at once, but in waves.This wasn’t an argument.This wasn’t a misunderstanding.This wasn’t “a rough patch.”This was something else.Something I didn’t have a name for yet, but my body already knew.When I finally sat up, my limbs trembled like I’d just woken from a nightmare I couldn’t remember. I pulled the blanket around myself and stared at the door, half‑expecting it to open again.It didn’t.That was somehow worse.I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood too fast, the room tilting briefly before settling. My skin felt tight. Wrong. Like it didn’t belong to me anymore.The bathroom light was too bright when I flipped it on.I turned the sink faucet all the way to hot and shoved my hands under the stream, scru
BethFriday felt like a gift.Not a big one—just a quiet relief. The kind you don’t celebrate out loud because you’re afraid it’ll disappear if you do. Work had gone smoothly. No raised voices. No tight smiles. No apologies I didn’t mean.And more importantly…Tommy hadn’t stopped by the office.That usually meant he was already gone for the weekend.The thought made my shoulders loosen for the first time in days.A whole weekend to breathe.I hummed softly as I unlocked my apartment door, my mood lighter than it had been in weeks. I kicked off my shoes, set my bag down, and flicked the light switch—Nothing happened.The room stayed dark.“Hello?” I called, already frowning.Then I saw him.Tommy was sitting on the couch, elbows on his knees, hands clasped, face half-shadowed by the faint streetlight coming through the window.Waiting.My stomach dropped so fast it made me dizzy.“How did you get in here?” I asked, my voice barely steady.He smiled. Slow. Casual.“I live here.”“No,
StacyDinner started like any other.We met at a little Italian place halfway between our apartments—neutral territory, linen napkins, fake candles in glass jars. Tommy was already seated when I arrived, leaning back in the booth like he didn’t have a care in the world.He smiled when he saw me. Easy. Relaxed.Too relaxed.“Hey, old man,” he said, standing to clap me on the shoulder. “Long time.”I smiled back. “Long time.”We ordered drinks. Water for me. Beer for him. The server didn’t even ask for his ID—charm, confidence, or maybe just a habit. Tommy had always been good at pretending to belong.“So,” I said once the server left. “How’ve things been?”“Oh, great,” he replied, reaching for the bread basket. “Work’s good. Beth’s great. We actually moved in together.”My pulse ticked.“Oh really?” I asked, keeping my tone light. “That’s a big step.”“Yeah, well… it just kind of happened. I was over at her place all the time anyway. It made sense, y’know? Nothing really changed.”I no
StacyIt’d been two weeks since I’d seen Beth in person.Twelve days since her last text had more than five words.And about an hour since I asked Rachel to check in on her—because I was tired of pretending I wasn’t worried.“She’s been off,” Rachel admitted immediately. “I’m actually headed to her office now. I’ll let you know.” That was over an hour ago.No text back. No call. Nothing.I stared at my phone, spinning it once between my fingers before finally pressing her name.Straight to voicemail.No ring. No hesitation. Just her voice telling me to leave a message she probably wouldn’t check.I hung up without bothering. Then typed:Me:Hey. Just wanted to check in. Hope everything’s okay.The dots showed up instantly. Then disappeared. Then came back.Beth:Sorry. I’m in a meeting. Can’t talk right now.Meeting. Sure. At 4:47 PM on a Thursday.I didn’t call her out on it. I couldn’t. Not when I was just grateful she answered at all.Me:No worries. Just had a quick question—woul
BethI used to care about eyeliner.Not the thick kind, just enough to make my eyes look awake. Like I’d slept more than five hours. Like I wasn’t quietly falling apart in between commutes and coffee breaks.Now? I barely remembered to brush my hair before leaving the apartment.This morning, I stood in front of the mirror and stared at the same shirt I’d worn last week—gray, a little stretched at the neckline, but clean enough. That was the bar lately. “Clean enough.” “Quiet enough.” “Calm enough to not set him off.”I didn’t even notice when Tommy started leaving more and more of his stuff here. First it was a toothbrush. Then socks in the laundry. A drawer in my dresser. One morning I opened the fridge and saw his favorite beer next to my almond milk, and it hit me—I never said yes. I never said, sure, make yourself at home, move right in, take over the space I built for myself.But here he was. Always here.And I kept telling myself it didn’t count. That because I hadn’t given him
BethThe hallway was quiet, the kind of quiet that made your keys sound loud. I juggled my phone under one arm and twisted the lock, half thinking about dinner and half trying not to think about the conversation I’d had with Adam earlier.That was… a lot.I’d barely turned the knob when—“Hey, babe.”I jumped, heart launching into my throat.Tommy was right behind me, leaning casually against the wall like he’d been standing there forever. Like he’d known exactly when I’d get home.“Oh my God,” I breathed, hand to my chest. “You scared the hell out of me.”He laughed, not looking the least bit sorry. “What? I saw you pulling in. Figured I’d walk you up.”“I—how long were you out here?”He shrugged. “A minute.”A minute too long.I stepped inside and held the door for him, even though I didn’t remember inviting him in. He brushed past me and dropped onto the couch like he lived here. Like this was his place, not mine.I stayed by the door a little too long. Watching. Thinking.“Anyway,







