"You could sell. Or close. Cut your losses." His voice gentles. "Lacy, you've worked so hard. You deserve a break. Let someone else carry the weight for a while."
Let someone else carry the weight.
Translation: let me carry you. Again. Like I did when we dated and he paid for dinners and vacations and slowly, subtly made me feel like I owed him something. Like love was transactional and I'd racked up debts.
"I'll think about it," I hear myself say.
"Yeah?" His face brightens. "That's great. Really. I think you'd be perfect for this."
Perfect for being managed. For fitting into someone else's structure. For being practical Lacy who makes smart choicesinstead of reckless ones like sleeping with an orc she barely knows and feeling more alive than she has in years.
The food arrives. I pick at my overpriced eggs while Evan talks about team building and quarterly projections and how much he's looking forward to working together again.
Together. Like we're a unit. Like the breakup was just intermission instead of ending.
My phone lights up. I glance down.
Stone:How's brunch?
Guilt twists sharp. I haven't told him about Evan. About the job offer. About sitting here listening to my ex paint pictures of stable futures while I wonder if stable means settling.
"Someone important?" Evan's voice carries an edge.
"Just a friend."
"The orc?"
I look up sharply. "How do you know about that?"
"It's all over social media. You and some integration program volunteer getting cozy." He shrugs. "People talk."
People talk. People always talk. Especially when you're doing something they don't understand.
"It's none of your business."
"I'm not judging. I'm just saying be careful. Those programs are political minefields. Getting involved complicates things."
"Everything complicates things, Evan. That's life."
"Not if you're smart about it." He reaches across the table, touches my hand. "You don't have to make everything so hard, Lace. Sometimes the easy path is okay. Sometimes it's better."
I pull my hand back. Gentle but firm.
"I should go. Thanks for brunch. And the offer. I'll let you know."
"Lacy—"
"I really do need to think about it. Alone."
He nods. Disappointed but trying to hide it. "Of course. Take your time. The position doesn't close for a few weeks."
I leave money for my half. He protests but I insist. Some lines need drawing.
Outside, the air bites cold. I walk without direction. Processing. Evan's offer loops through my mind alongside Tess's warnings and Stone's suspension and the growing pressure of too many variables, too many unknowns.
Stability. Security. Salary and benefits and someone else making the hard decisions.
All I have to do is give up the bookstore. The dream. The thing I built from nothing and have bled for daily.
