Quiet Reflections
611 Words
The morning light spilled softly through the curtains, but Lexi barely noticed. Her mind replayed last night’s chaos, the rough grip, Jared’s sneer, and Ethan’s sharp command cutting through the tension like a blade. She still felt the hollow ache deep in her chest.
She sat at the kitchen table, hands wrapped around a warm mug, memories surfacing alongside the steam.
Jared wasn’t just some random jerk, he’d been her first serious boyfriend. It was just two years after her father had cast her out, and Ava had practically forced her to open a Tinder profile. That was where she’d matched with Jared.
At first, he was the sweetest, most attentive guy she’d ever met. Charming, funny, and genuinely kind. For a while, it almost felt like she was getting a fresh start.
But after a year, the cracks began to show. She caught him cheating. It wasn’t surprising, not because she wanted to believe it, but because she had sensed it long before. Little things like his gaze slipping away every time she came near, the way he’d quickly silence his phone during late hours, the times he suddenly became distant and distracted.
Her gut had screamed that something was wrong. When she finally found the truth, it wasn’t hard to walk away.
Jared, however, hadn’t taken it lightly. He tried everything to pull her back in, calls, texts, even showing up uninvited. But Lexi was done. She was over him long before last night’s confrontation, though that didn’t stop him from trying to drag her back.
Ava’s voice broke through Lexi’s thoughts as she poured herself a cup of coffee.
“You okay?”
Lexi managed a small, tired smile.
“I will be. Just… a lot to process.”
Zoe sat down beside her, shaking her head.
“Jared is such a pain in the ass.”
Ava snorted.
“I swear, if it weren’t for the tiny space at the bar, I’d have aimed for his balls myself.”
They all laughed.
Ava leaned forward, excitement lighting up her eyes.
“But seriously, did you know who that man was? The way he just showed up like some kind of superhero, had us feeling saved.”
Lexi paused, glancing between her two friends as if weighing whether to drop the bomb.
“That was the CEO of Cooper Holdings.”
Both gasped.
Zoe’s eyes went wide.
“Your boss?!”
Ava grinned, smirking.
“Woah, girl… he really is hot. Damn, you should totally hold him down with your charm.”
Zoe chuckled, teasing. “Yeah, but remember how your last ‘matchmaking’ attempt turned out?”
She nodded toward Lexi with a sly smile, clearly referencing Jared.
Lexi rolled her eyes but couldn’t help laughing.
“Yeah, let’s not bring that up again.”
She glanced at the clock on the wall, the soft tick reminding her of the day ahead.
“I should get ready,” she said, standing and stretching lightly. “Got a busy day at the boutique.”
Ava nudged her playfully.
“Work hard, designer girl. And try not to get into any more drama, yeah?”
Zoe grinned.
“Yeah, or at least call us if you do. We make a pretty good backup squad.”
Lexi smiled, feeling the warmth of their friendship steadying her nerves.
“Thanks, you two. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
With that she headed to her room, thoughts already shifting to sketches, fabrics, and deadlines but the memory of last night, and Ethan’s unexpected intervention, lingered quietly in the back of her mind.
Facing him again would really be… awkward.
- Writer
