Chapter 29

the living room felt too big without dani in it. too quiet. too wrong. megan sat on the couch, scrolling without really seeing anything.

footsteps. sophia.

“check your messages.”

megan didn’t look up. “if this is another lecture—”

“just look.” something in her tone made megan pause. she opened her phone. four screenshots.

new york looks better on you than silence did.

you weren’t just sent.

her brow furrowed.

i’ve been cheating on her for the past two years… wouldn’t that break her heart lmao

megan let out a short laugh. “okay,” she said, tossing her phone onto her lap. “and? adrianna’s insane. we already knew that.”

“she sent those to dani.”

megan shrugged. “cool. doesn’t change anything.”

sophia didn’t move. “she reached out right after dani left.”

megan stood, irritation flickering. “people text people, sophia. this isn’t some big—”

“she said dani didn’t leave.”

megan stopped. “…what?”

“she said dani was sent.” silence.

megan blinked, then scoffed. “that’s— no. that’s actually stupid.” her voice was steady. too steady. “she’s messing with you. with all of you. that’s what she does.”

sophia said nothing. megan’s gaze flicked away.

“she’s always been like that,” she continued, faster now. “you know that. she says things to get a reaction, to—”

“she gave up her career for you.”

megan’s words cut off. “i didn’t ask her to do that,” she said immediately.

“i know,” sophia replied. megan’s jaw tightened.

“so don’t act like this is my fault.”

“i’m not.”

“then what do you want me to say?” megan snapped, voice rising slightly. “that i’m sorry? that i feel bad? she made that choice.” her voice didn’t land the same way. it was thinner now. less certain. sophia just watched her. megan looked away. ran a hand through her hair.

“this is so dramatic,” she muttered. “it’s a hiatus. she’ll come back.”

no response. megan exhaled, a little too hard.

“she’s fine,” she added.

quieter. like she was trying to convince someone.

“she wanted this,” she said.

softer.

“she… she literally said it was her decision.”

the words stumbled slightly.

sophia tilted her head.

“you didn’t even look at her before she left.”

megan’s fingers curled.

“she didn’t want- i mean, it wasn’t like-“

she stopped.

reset.

“i just didn’t think it was that serious.”

there it was.

a crack.

small.

but real.

“she’s not… it’s not like she’s gone forever,” megan said, voice dropping. “she’s just… not here right now.”

sophia didn’t interrupt.

megan swallowed.

“and everyone’s acting like i did something,” she continued, quieter now. “i didn’t do anything.”

her eyes flicked to the phone on the couch.

then away.

“i didn’t know she was going to do that.”

softer.

“i didn’t think she would actually…”

her voice trailed off.

silence filled the space.

heavy.

megan let out a shaky breath.

“…it’s not my responsibility,” she said.

but it didn’t sound like a statement anymore.

it sounded like a question.

sophia stepped closer, voice low.

“no,” she said. “but how you treated her is.”

megan didn’t respond.

didn’t argue.

didn’t snap back.

she just stood there.

still.

eyes fixed somewhere that wasn’t sophia.

the room felt too quiet.

too empty.

sophia picked up the phone and set it beside megan.

“read it properly this time.”

she walked away.

megan didn’t move for a long time.

then, slowly, she sat back down.

her hand hovered over the screen. hesitated. then picked it up.