The evening with Jason was… awkward, to say the least.
He cooked dinner, as usual, and we sat across from each other at the small table in my apartment. I tried to smile, to play the part of the perfect girlfriend, but the smile never reached my eyes. Jason was still charming—still sweet, but something felt… off. Like I could see the cracks in the perfect façade he'd built for me.
"Everything okay?" Jason asked, his voice soft as he placed a plate of food in front of me.
I nodded quickly, forcing a smile. "Yeah, just tired."
He studied me for a moment, as though trying to read something in my face, but he didn't push it. He never did.
And for a second, I found myself missing the old version of him—the one who would do anything to make me laugh, the one who made me feel like the most important person in the world.
But that person didn't exist anymore.
The night passed slowly, each moment feeling like an eternity. When it was time for bed, Jason pulled me close, wrapping his arms around me like he always did. I should have felt comforted, but all I could think about was Ethan's words, his proximity, and the way my heart raced when I was near him.
I drifted off to sleep that night with Jason's soft breathing against my ear, but my thoughts were elsewhere.