Page 110 of Shared By my Ex's Best Friends
Nick shifts like he’s about to turn away, but he doesn’t. Instead, he hesitates, flicking his gaze back up to mine. “Do they know what we had?” he asks, quieter now. “How serious it was?”
I meet his stare without flinching. “They know everything that matters,” I say firmly. “And they still chose me.” I let that sink in before adding, “That should tell you something.”
His eyes flicker—just a flash of something raw and complicated—and I turn to leave before either of us can start pulling old wounds open again.
I walk down the winding path, boots crunching over gravel and fallen leaves, past the bench, the empty swings, the duck pond where the surface glints silver under the pale afternoon sun.
Every step feels like I’m shedding something. Anger, guilt, whatever pieces of myself I’d left behind with him.
But before I reach the gate, his voice slices through the stillness again.
“I talked to Liam, you know.”
I stop, my heart kicking once in my chest. Slowly, I turn back.
He steps closer, his hands no longer shoved in his pockets.
“I stopped him in the street like an idiot,” he says, more embarrassed than defensive. “Expecting a fight or something. I don’t know what I thought I was gonna prove.”
“And?” I ask, my voice steady.
“He just… shut me down,” he says with a huff, almost a laugh at his own expense. “Told me to move on. Told me they’re not letting you go.”
A rush of heat spreads through my chest—equal parts pride, love, and something fiercely protective. I smile. It’s not smug. It’s something deeper.
“Good,” I say. “I’m glad he did.”
Nick nods once, slowly. “They’re better for you.” He swallows hard. “I see that now.”
This time, when he turns to go, I know he won’t be looking back.
No parting shots. No dramatic pleas. Just quiet acceptance and the final echo of something that used to feel endless.
I breathe. For real this time. A deep, full breath that fills every inch of my lungs, like I’ve been holding it in for years without realizing.
By the time I get home, dusk has settled over everything. Light spills from the living room windows and laughter drifts from the kitchen.
The door creaks as I open it, and they’re all there—Jake, Ethan, Liam.
Jake looks up first, that familiar cocky grin tugging at his lips, but it falters, just a little, when his eyes scan my face like he’s checking for invisible bruises.
His smile softens. Warms.
Ethan’s already halfway to me, arms open, steady and waiting like he knew I’d need to fall into them the second I stepped inside.
Liam lingers behind, arms crossed loosely over his chest, his eyes calm and sure, like he’s been standing guard without needing to move.
They don’t even ask. They justknow.
I step into their embrace, letting all three of them surround me—Jake’s arms sliding around my waist from behind, Ethan’s hand brushing over my hair, Liam’s steady touch on my shoulder.
For the first time in a long, long time, there’s no echo of the past dragging me down.
Chapter forty-four
MAYA
The room is quiet. The kind of soft, weighted quiet that only comes long after midnight, when even the streetlights seem to dim out of respect for the dark.
