Mag-log inLena's PovThe next morning , the room smelled like fresh coffee, and Noah’s skin was warm against mine. Our apartment still had a few boxes stacked in the corner, but the walls already carried my watercolors next to his charcoal sketches. Everything felt ours.Noah kissed the spot between my shoulder blades softly and pulled me closer. “Good morning, wife-to-be,” he whispered playfully, remembering the rings we picked out yesterday.I rolled over and smiled sleepily. “Good morning, future husband,” I answered, brushing a kiss over the stubble on his chin that I loved. “You made coffee already, I can smell it.”He grinned and brushed hair from my face gently. “Wanted you to wake up spoiled,” he said lowly. “We’ve got exactly zero plans today. Our first full weekend in our place with nothing to unpack and no one to hide from.”I stretched against him slowly, feeling him hard beneath the sheet. “I vote we never leave this bed,” I said, tracing lazy circles on his chest. “I like waking u
Lena’s PovFew days later, my phone was buzzing nonstop on Noah’s nightstand. Messages from friends I hadn’t spoken to in months filled the screen, all asking if it was true about Ethan, Noah, and me. Someone from the design firm posted a blurry photo of Ethan’s bruised knuckles with the caption, “Karma hits hard.” By noon, the whole campus knew every detail, and people stared as I walked to class. I turned the phone off and curled up against Noah because hiding felt easier.He kissed my forehead softly. “They’ll stop in a week,” he said quietly. “Gossip always dies.”I nodded against his chest. “I hate that they talk about Ethan too,” I said, and he rubbed my back slowly.“He’ll be okay,” he said gently. “He’s strong. It might not be easy for him but he'll get over it.”The door buzzer sounded loudly, and Noah checked the peephole. “It’s Ethan,” he said lowly and looked at me worried.I sat up quickly and pulled on his hoodie. “Let him in,” I said because avoiding forever felt wrong.
Lena’s PovI sat on the couch in the apartment that used to feel like home and watched Ethan tape the last box of my things. Three weeks had passed since the night he told me to leave, and we had only spoken through short texts about picking up my stuff. He looked thinner, and his eyes stayed tired, but he smiled slightly when I walked in.“Almost done,” he said and pushed the box toward me. “Books and paints mostly.”I nodded and picked up a smaller box because my arms felt weak. “Thank you for letting me come today,” I said quietly. “I know it is hard.”He shrugged and leaned against the wall. “Harder pretending we could fix it,” he said plainly. “I loved you, Lena, but I see now you were already gone.”Tears came fast, and I wiped them quickly. “I am sorry I hurt you,” I said, and he nodded once.“I know,” he said softly. “I am sorry I stopped seeing you. Maybe if I had paid attention, you would not have stayed.”I stepped closer and hugged him carefully. He hugged me back tightly
Ethan's PovI came home very early because the client meeting I had that morning ended fast, and I wanted to surprise Lena with flowers. The apartment was quiet when I walked in, and Noah’s door stood open with boxes stacked neatly inside. I set the roses on the counter and saw his phone charging on the table because he always forgot it. The screen lit up with a text preview from Lena that said, *I miss you already,* and my stomach dropped hard.I grabbed the phone and unlocked it easily because he never changed the code from high school. The messages went back weeks, filled with hearts and words I had never seen her send me. I saw pictures too, her in his bed, him kissing her neck. I read every single one until my hands shook and anger burned so hot I saw red.The door opened, and Lena walked in with grocery bags, smiling until she saw my face. “Ethan,” she said softly and dropped the bags slowly. “What is wrong?”I turned the phone so she could see. “Tell me this is a joke,” I said,
Lena’s PovI stood in the doorway of Noah’s room and watched him fold a stack of shirts into a black duffel bag. The sight hit me harder than I expected. One drawer already sat empty, and the sketchbooks he kept on the shelf were gone. He did not look up when I stepped inside and closed the door softly behind me.“You’re really leaving,” I said, and my voice came out smaller than I wanted.Noah kept folding. “The lease starts tomorrow,” he answered quietly. “The studio is small, but it’s mine, and it stops all of this before someone gets destroyed.”I crossed the room and sat on the edge of his bed because my legs felt shaky. “Do you regret it?” I asked and looked at him straight. “Any of it. Tell me the truth, Noah.”He stopped, holding a gray tee in his hands, and finally met my eyes. “I regret hurting Ethan,” he said slowly. “I regret lying every single day. But I do not regret one second of being with you, Lena, because every second felt like the only honest thing I have done in m
Lena’s Pov I felt someone kissing my neck in the morning. I stood up from bed immediately only to see Ethan, with his hand sliding under the sheet because he had come home while I slept. He smelled like car air freshener and fast food. He grinned widely when I opened my eyes. "Surprise," he whispered and rolled on top of me playfully. "I drove all night because I missed you too much."I smiled weakly and wrapped my arms around his neck because guilt sat heavy in my stomach. "I missed you too," I said and kissed him quickly to hide my face. Noah's door stayed closed down the hall, and I prayed he heard nothing.Ethan pulled back and studied me closely. "Are you okay, babe?" he asked, brushing hair from my cheek. "You look tired.""I had bad sleep," I said and sat up slowly. "The weekend was quiet without you."He nodded and stood to unpack his bag. "Did Noah keep you company?" he asked loud enough for the hall.The door opened, and Noah stepped out in boxers, rubbing his eyes. "Mornin







