Dahlia
The café was quiet when I arrived, the early morning sunlight filtering through the windows in a soft glow. I’d picked this place on purpose—neutral ground, away from the usual spots Ben and I frequented. This was a conversation that needed distance, and I couldn’t bear to have it somewhere tied to memories of us.
I gripped the edge of the table, my knuckles white from the pressure. My heart was pounding, and it had nothing to do with the coffee in front of me. Ben was late, which wasn’t like him at all. He was always punctual, always dependable. And that made this so much harder. I didn’t want to do this, to hurt him, but I couldn’t string him along anymore.
The bond with Nikolai… it had changed everything. I had tried to convince myself that I could move past it, that I could s
