Chapter 8: The Aftermath
805 Words
Olivia walked away from Noah, her heart pounding against her ribs. She had never expected their conversation to end like that. There had been a part of her—small, but stubborn—that had hoped for a different outcome, one where Noah had a perfectly reasonable explanation, where everything would fall back into place. But instead, she was left with the unmistakable feeling of loss, and more than that—betrayal.
As she turned the corner, her phone buzzed in her bag. A part of her hoped it was Noah, regretting everything and asking for another chance, but when she pulled it out, she saw Natalie’s name flashing across the screen.
"Hey," Olivia answered, trying to keep her voice steady.
"Okay, spill. Did you talk to him?" Natalie’s voice was filled with urgency.
Olivia exhaled, pressing a hand to her forehead. "Yeah. I saw him at the café. He was with someone else."
"What?!" Natalie nearly shouted. "Who was she?"
"He said she was just a friend," Olivia muttered, shaking her head. "But that’s not the point. He admitted he got scared. Said things were moving too fast, and instead of talking to me, he just... shut me out."
There was a long pause before Natalie sighed. "Liv, I hate to say it, but that’s a red flag. If he runs at the first sign of something real, what does that say about him?"
"I know." Olivia swallowed hard. "I just—ugh. I really liked him."
"Of course you did. He’s charming. But, Liv, you deserve someone who doesn’t leave you in the dark."
Olivia bit her lip, nodding even though Natalie couldn’t see her. "I know."
"Come over tonight?" Natalie offered. "Wine, takeout, bad movies?"
A small smile crept onto Olivia’s lips. "Yeah. That sounds perfect."
---
That night, Olivia curled up on Natalie’s couch with a glass of red wine in hand, a half-eaten carton of Thai food balanced on her lap. The two of them had spent the last hour tearing apart a terribly scripted romance movie, their laughter filling the apartment. It felt good to laugh—to forget, even if only for a little while.
"Okay, but seriously," Natalie said, pausing the movie. "What’s next? Are you taking a break from dating? Or are you adding someone new to the list?"
Olivia groaned. "I don’t even know anymore. Maybe I need to rethink this whole thing. The list was supposed to help me find love, but so far, all it’s done is complicate things."
"Or," Natalie said, raising an eyebrow, "maybe it’s helped you figure out what you actually want."
Olivia considered that, twirling her wine glass in her hand. "You might be right."
Just then, her phone buzzed on the coffee table. Both she and Natalie stared at it, and Olivia hesitated before picking it up. Her stomach clenched when she saw Noah’s name.
**Noah:** *I know I messed up. Can we talk?*
Natalie peered over Olivia’s shoulder, reading the message. "What are you going to do?"
Olivia sighed, placing her phone back down. "I have no idea."
---
The next morning, Olivia woke up feeling groggy but determined. She wasn’t going to make any rash decisions. Instead, she focused on her routine, going for a run to clear her head and then stopping by her favorite coffee shop. As she waited in line, lost in thought, someone cleared their throat behind her.
"Olivia?"
She turned and found herself face-to-face with Ethan.
"Ethan!" she said, surprised. She hadn’t seen him since their failed date weeks ago. "Wow, hey."
"It’s good to see you," he said, smiling. "How have you been?"
Olivia hesitated. "Uh, it’s been a week, that’s for sure."
Ethan tilted his head. "Want to talk about it?"
She hesitated again but then found herself nodding. "Actually... yeah."
They grabbed their coffees and sat by the window. Olivia found herself spilling everything—the list, her attempt to find love, Noah, the disaster that followed. Ethan listened attentively, nodding in all the right places.
When she finished, he leaned back, smiling slightly. "You know, for what it’s worth, I think it’s kind of cool that you put yourself out there like that. Most people don’t."
Olivia blinked. "You don’t think it’s ridiculous?"
"Not at all." Ethan took a sip of his coffee. "I mean, sure, a list might not be the most traditional way to find love, but love itself is unpredictable, right? Why not try?"
She stared at him, surprised by how much lighter she felt after their conversation. "Thanks, Ethan. I think I really needed to hear that."
"Anytime." He smiled. "And hey, if you ever want a redo on that date... no pressure."
Olivia laughed softly, considering his words. "I’ll think about it."
And for the first time in days, she meant it.
- Writer
