And I’d known, hadn’t I? I’d known for a while now. Maybe I’d known even before I came back to Millfield.
I thought about Vaughn. The conversation I’d had with him before I’d even started packing.
I’d gone to his apartment, knowing I owed him honesty before I left. He’d opened the door with that easy smile, guitarin hand, and I’d known immediately that he already understood why I was there.
“You’re leaving,” he’d said. Not a question.
“I got offered a promotion. In Millfield.”
He’d set down the guitar and gestured for me to come in. “You’re going back to him?”
“I’m going back for my career,” I’d said. “The job is too good to pass up. I’ve worked too hard to make decisions based on a man.”
Vaughn had nodded, and then his face had shifted—excited, nervous, like he was bursting to tell me something. “I can’t share details yet, but something big is about to happen for me too. I’ll probably be moving on soon anyway.”
“Your big break?”
“I think so. A label’s been sniffing around. Nothing’s signed yet, but...” He’d grinned. “Looks like we’re both getting what we wanted.”
“Just like that?” I’d asked. “We’re ending just like that?”
“We were always honest about what this was, Indira. Fun. Companionship. Two people enjoying each other while we figured out what we really wanted.” He’d taken my hands. “You were never going to be all in with me. Not while he was still taking up space in your heart.”
I’d felt tears prick my eyes. “You deserved someone who was all in.”
“And I’ll find her. But I don’t regret a single moment with you.” He’d kissed my forehead. “Go get your promotion. Go see if he’s really changed. And if he hasn’t, find yourself the man you deserve.”
We’d ended clean, the way we’d always been with each other. Honest to the last.
Vaughn had seen it before I had. Dutch was still taking up space in my heart. He’d never really left.
My hand trembled slightly as I reached for my phone. I called him before I could overthink it.
He answered on the first ring. “Hey. You okay?” His voice was sleep-rough, like I’d woken him.
“I’m good.” I sat up in bed, pulling the covers around me, the cotton soft against my bare shoulders. My heart was beating hard enough that I could feel it in my throat. “I’ve been thinking.”
“About?”
“About what I want. Not what makes sense or what’s safe, but what I actually want.”
Silence. I pressed the phone closer to my ear, waiting. Then, carefully: “And what do you want, Indira?”
“I want to see if we can build something real. Not what we had before, but something better.”
His breath caught—I heard it, a sharp intake through the speaker. “Are you sure?”
“I am.” I stood and walked to the window, the hardwood cool under my feet, and looked out at the morning light spilling gold across the street. “I don’t need you to be whole, Dutch. I’ve proven that. I built a career, made friends, created a life that’s entirely mine. But I want you anyway.”
“Indira...” His voice was rough, raw in a way that made warmth spread through my chest.
“I’m choosing you,” I said clearly, my free hand pressed flat against the cool glass. “From a position of strength, not need. And I’m choosing you knowing exactly what I’m worth, what I deserve, and what I won’t accept. Can you handle that?”
“Yes.” No hesitation. “I’ll spend every day proving I deserve to be chosen.”
“As long as you’re still okay with the conditions. Complete honesty, complete fidelity, respect for my career and my independence.”
“The conditions haven’t changed, Indira. Neither has my answer.” He paused. “But I have conditions too.”
