“It’s... complicated. But you deserve to know.”
“Okay.” She’s quiet for a moment. “Thank you. For calling. I know this can’t be easy for you either.”
The kindness in her voice makes this so much harder. If she were awful, if she were mean or dismissive or any of the things I used to hope she’d be in my more petty moments, this would be simpler. But she’s just a nice person who’s dating someone who doesn’t deserve her, and now I have to be the one to break her heart.
“I’ll see you in an hour,” I say.
“See you then.”
I hang up and immediately text Riya.
Where are you?
I’m meeting Harper on campus in an hour.
Riya
I’m at the grocery store.
FINALLY.
You’re doing the right thing. Want me to come with?
No, but thanks. This is something I need to do alone.
Proud of you, babe.
Call me if you need to.
I set my phone aside and look at Greg again. “What do you think? Am I doing the right thing?”
Greg doesn’t answer. But there’s something comforting about his presence, like having a living reminder that good things can grow if you take care of them properly. I only realize now how much bigger he is than when I first saw him.
I think about Ethan’s note, about his willingness to listen and his acknowledgment that I was trying to help him. About how he trusted me enough to leave Greg here, even though I hurt him.
That’s what real partnership looks like, I realize. Not the desperate clinging I had with Miles, not the algorithmic compatibility I’ve been trying to code. It’s choosing to trust each other even when it’s scary, choosing honesty even when it’s hard.
Which is exactly what I need to do with Harper.
I spend the next thirty minutes getting ready, not because I care how I look but because I need something to do with my hands. I change clothes twice, make and abandon threedifferent cups of tea, and reorganize my desk drawer in what Riya would definitely recognize as nervous procrastination.
Finally, it’s time to go.
“Wish me luck, Greg,” I say, grabbing my jacket. “When I get back, maybe we can figure out how to fix things with your dad.”
The afternoon air is crisp, that perfect spring weather that makes you believe anything is possible. Campus is busy with the usual pre-dinner rush—students heading to jobs, study groups, the gym. Normal people living normal lives, unaware that I’m about to potentially blow up someone else’s relationship.
But as I walk toward CC’s, I don’t feel guilty anymore. I feel... clear. Like I’m finally doing something because it’s right, not because it’s easy or because it protects me or because it’s what someone else wants me to do.
For the first time in years, I’m choosing honesty over comfort.
And maybe, if I’m lucky, that choice will help me figure out how to be honest with Ethan too.
I spot Harper immediately—she’s claimed a bench on the quad, her golden hair catching the light as she scrolls through her phone. She looks up when I approach, and her smile is nervous but genuine.
“Hi,” she says, standing to give me a quick hug. “Thanks for calling.”
“Thanks for meeting me on such short notice.” I slide into the seat across from her, trying to ignore the way my heart is racing.
