The days after that night in the park passed in slow, measured steps. Nathan kept his promise—he gave himself space, distancing from Sarah, from Lewis, from everything that reminded him of what he had lost. But distance didn't make the pain disappear. It just dulled it, like a wound scabbing over but still tender to the touch.
He kept himself busy—throwing himself into work, mindless errands, anything that kept him from thinking too much. But Sarah was everywhere. In the songs playing on the radio, in the coffee shop where they used to spend lazy afternoons, in the echoes of laughter that still clung to the empty spaces of his apartment.
For the first time in years, Nathan felt truly alone.
One evening, as he sat on his couch staring blankly at the television, his phone vibrated beside him. He hesitated before picking it up, his stomach twisting when he saw Sarah's name on the screen.
Hey. Can we talk?
A part of him wanted to ignore it. Talking to her felt like reopening a wound that was still healing. But another part—the part that still missed her, still cared—couldn't just pretend she didn't exist.
Where? he typed back.
The old bookstore? She knew it was one of the few places that held no painful memories for them. It was neutral ground.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair before replying. Fine. Thirty minutes.
---
The bookstore was quiet when he arrived. The scent of aged paper and ink filled the air, the warm yellow lights casting a cozy glow over the shelves. He spotted Sarah near the back, idly flipping through the pages of a worn paperback.
She looked up when she saw him, a small, uncertain smile playing on her lips. "Hey."
"Hey." He shoved his hands into his pockets, keeping a careful distance. "What's up?"
Sarah closed the book and set it aside, exhaling softly. "I just... I didn't want things to end the way they did the other night."
Nathan gave a dry chuckle. "How did you expect them to end?"
"I don't know," she admitted. "But not like that. Not with you shutting me out completely."
He leaned against the bookshelf, crossing his arms. "What did you expect me to do, Sarah? Pretend that everything is fine? That I'm okay watching you with him?"
She winced, looking down at her hands. "I never wanted to hurt you, Nathan."
"But you did." He exhaled sharply. "And I know it wasn't intentional, but it doesn't change the fact that it happened."
Silence stretched between them, thick with everything left unsaid. Sarah finally looked up, her eyes searching his. "Do you hate me?"
The question caught him off guard. He frowned, shaking his head. "No. I could never hate you."
Relief flickered across her face, but it was short-lived. "Then... is this it? Are we just done?"
Nathan hesitated. He wanted to tell her that he'd always be there, that nothing could truly break what they had. But he also knew that wasn't true. Things had changed. He had changed. And no matter how much he wished otherwise, there was no going back to what they were before.
"I don't know," he admitted. "I think we both need time."
Sarah nodded slowly. "I get that. But I don't want you to disappear from my life, Nathan."
He looked away. "I don't know if I can be what you need me to be right now."
She reached for his hand, but he didn't take it. Instead, he took a small step back, forcing a tight smile. "I should go."
Sarah swallowed hard, blinking rapidly as if to keep the tears at bay. "Okay."
Nathan turned to leave but hesitated, glancing over his shoulder. "Take care of yourself, Sarah."
She offered a sad smile. "You too."
As he stepped out into the cool night air, he took a deep breath, feeling a strange mix of sadness and relief settle in his chest. He wasn't sure what the future held for them, but for now, he needed to learn how to be okay on his own.
And maybe, just maybe, one day they could find their way back to something that didn't hurt so much.