THE PAUSE
513 Words
The Pause
Ava kept the photo on her desk.Stared at it every morning before work.Every night before bed.She told herself it meant nothing.But the truth was,it meant everything.
Weeks passed.She dove into projects.Took on extra clients.Filled every hour so there’d be no time to think.
But thinking came anyway.
Ethan didn’t call again.No texts.No emails.
He’d given her silence.
Exactly what she asked for.
And now,she hated it.
Mia watched her spiral quietly.Never said “I told you so.”Just checked in,brought food,played music they used to dance to in college.Ava was grateful in a quiet,tired way.
Then one Friday evening,she got a message.
From Collins.
“Thought you’d want to know—the guy who threatened you?He cut a deal.He gave us names.We shut down the ring completely.London’s safe again.He asked if Ethan Blake was still alive.Guess he’s bitter he failed.”
Ava read the message three times.
London was safe again.
She should feel relief.
Instead,she felt something worse—emptiness.
Ethan was free now.Fully.And he hadn’t tried to reach her since the photo.
She stared at her phone.
Then dropped it.
Then picked it up again.
Then finally—called him.
It rang.
And rang.
Then his voice came through.
Deep.Tired.Hopeful.
“Ava?”
She couldn’t breathe for a second.
“It’s me,”she said.
Silence.
Then—“I didn’t think you’d call.”
“I didn’t think I would either.”
“You okay?”
“I don’t know.”
“Are you safe?”
“Yes.”
“Are you happy?”
Pause.
“No.”
Another long pause.
“Do you want to be?”
Tears pricked her eyes.“I think I want to try.”
He exhaled.
Like he’d been holding his breath since she left.
“I’m still here,”he said.“Same apartment.Same couch.Same broken heart.”
“I don’t know what we are anymore,Ethan.”
“Neither do I.But I know what I want us to be.”
She swallowed.“And what’s that?”
“Something honest.Something new.No secrets.No ghosts.”
She nodded slowly,as if he could see it.
“Okay,”she whispered.“Then maybe...I’ll come home.”
She heard the catch in his voice.
“You still call it home?”
“I never stopped.”
Three days later,she boarded a plane back to London.
No fear this time.
No anger.
Just uncertainty—and hope.
He was waiting at the airport.
Same coat,same crooked smile,same eyes that still knew every inch of her.
She walked straight to him.
Dropped her bag.
And hugged him without a word.
No kiss.
No speech.
Just a long,quiet hold that said everything they couldn’t.
After a while,he pulled back,cupped her cheek.
“You look tired.”
“You look worse.”
They both laughed.
He picked up her bag and led her outside.
London was cloudy as always.
But for the first time in a long time,she felt warm.
This wasn’t the end.
It was the beginning of whatever came next.
Not perfect.
Not polished.
But real.
- Writer
