Lena sat on the edge of Ethan's bed, her fingers gripping the edge of the blanket. His apartment felt smaller than usual, as if the walls were pressing in on her. The weight of his words lingered in the air.
New York. A fresh start. A new life.
But what did that mean for them?
Ethan leaned against the wall, watching her carefully. "Lena, talk to me."
She swallowed. "I don't know what to say."
"Say what you're thinking."
She lifted her gaze, eyes filled with uncertainty. "I'm scared, Ethan. I don't want to make the wrong choice."
Ethan sighed, running a hand through his hair. "There's no right or wrong choice here. There's only what we want."
Lena let out a humorless laugh. "And what if we want different things?"
Ethan hesitated. "Do we?"
She looked away. "I don't know."
And that was the problem, wasn't it?
She had spent so long convincing herself that love always ended in heartbreak. Now that she had something real, something worth fighting for, she didn't know how to hold on to it.
Ethan sat beside her, their shoulders touching. "I don't want to lose you, Lena. But I also don't want you to come with me just because you're afraid of letting me go."
His words hit her like a punch to the gut.
Because wasn't that exactly what she was afraid of?
That night, Lena couldn't sleep.
She tossed and turned, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts. Finally, she grabbed her phone and dialed a number she hadn't called in a long time.
After three rings, a familiar voice answered.
"Lena?"
She closed her eyes. "Hey, Mom."
There was a pause. "It's been a while."
Lena sighed. "I know."
"How are you?"
Lena hesitated. "I don't know."
Another pause. Then, softer: "Is it about Ethan?"
Lena let out a shaky breath. "Yeah."
Her mother sighed. "You always loved him, you know. Even when you tried to convince yourself you didn't."
Lena swallowed hard. "But what if I'm making a mistake?"
"Honey," her mother said gently, "love is always a risk. But you have to ask yourself—is he worth it?"
Lena's chest tightened.
Was he?
She already knew the answer.
The next morning, Lena didn't hesitate.
She grabbed her coat and rushed out the door, her heart pounding in her chest.
She had spent too long running from what she wanted. Not anymore.
By the time she reached Ethan's apartment, she was breathless. She knocked hard, stepping back as the door swung open.
Ethan stared at her in surprise. "Lena?"
She didn't wait.
She stepped inside, grabbed his face, and kissed him.
It was desperate. It was messy. It was real.
When they finally pulled apart, Ethan's eyes searched hers. "What was that for?"
Lena took a deep breath. "I love you, Ethan. I always have. And I don't want to lose you again."
Ethan's expression softened. "Then don't."
She let out a shaky laugh. "I don't know what the future looks like. I don't know if I can just leave everything behind for New York. But I know I don't want to spend another second pretending I don't love you."
Ethan cupped her face. "Lena, I don't care where we are. I just want to be with you."
Tears welled in her eyes. "Then let's figure it out. Together."
Ethan smiled. "Together."
And for the first time, Lena wasn't afraid of love.
She was ready to embrace it.
Lena had never been afraid of loneliness. In fact, for the longest time, she had found solace in it. It was safe—predictable. But now, as she stood in Ethan's apartment, staring at him, her fingers still trembling from the weight of her confession, she realized something terrifying.
She didn't want to be alone anymore.
Ethan's hands were still on her face, his thumbs brushing gently over her skin, as if he was afraid she would vanish if he let go. His blue eyes searched hers, filled with a quiet kind of longing.
"You mean it?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Lena swallowed hard. "I do."
A slow, almost disbelieving smile spread across Ethan's face. "You're really staying?"
She exhaled shakily. "I don't know what staying means yet. But I know that I don't want to lose you again."
Ethan let out a small laugh, his grip tightening ever so slightly. "God, Lena. Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting to hear you say that?"
Her chest tightened. "Probably as long as I've been trying to pretend I didn't feel it."
Ethan's smile faltered slightly, replaced by something deeper—something more raw. "I get it. You've been hurt before. So have I. But we don't have to keep running from this."
Lena inhaled sharply. "I'm scared, Ethan."
His expression softened. "Me too."
A beat of silence passed between them, the air thick with unspoken words.
Then, finally, Ethan said, "But I'd rather be scared with you than be without you."
And just like that, the last of Lena's defenses crumbled.
The rest of the day passed in a blur.
Lena and Ethan stayed in his apartment, wrapped up in each other, talking about everything and nothing at all. It was the first time in years that they had been this honest with each other, and it was terrifying and exhilarating all at once.
But as the sun dipped below the horizon, reality started to creep back in.
New York was still waiting.
Lena sat on the couch, her legs curled up beneath her, as Ethan paced the room, his hands buried in his pockets.
"So," he said, breaking the silence. "What do we do now?"
Lena bit her lip. "I don't know."
Ethan ran a hand through his hair. "If I take the job, it means leaving in two weeks."
Her stomach twisted. Two weeks. That wasn't enough time.
Or maybe, it was all the time they needed.
Lena took a deep breath. "If you go, do you want me to go with you?"
Ethan froze, his eyes snapping to hers. "Lena…"
"Just answer the question," she said softly.
Ethan sighed, sitting down beside her. "Of course I do. But I don't want you to come just because of me. I want you to want it too."
Lena swallowed. "I don't know if I want New York. But I do know I want you."
Ethan reached for her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. "Then we'll figure it out together."
Over the next few days, Lena wrestled with the biggest decision of her life.
New York meant change. It meant stepping into the unknown, leaving behind the life she had built, the job she was comfortable in, the city that had shaped her.
But staying meant watching Ethan walk away.
And that thought was unbearable.
She found herself sitting in her favorite coffee shop, staring at her untouched cup of tea, when a familiar voice broke through her thoughts.
"You look like someone who's about to do something crazy."
Lena looked up, surprised to see her best friend, Sophie, sliding into the seat across from her.
"I might be," Lena admitted.
Sophie arched an eyebrow. "Does this have anything to do with Ethan?"
Lena let out a breathless laugh. "Of course it does."
Sophie leaned forward. "Spill."
Lena hesitated, then told her everything—about Ethan's job offer, about her feelings, about the fear that was eating away at her.
When she finished, Sophie was quiet for a moment. Then she said, "Lena, if you love him, why are you still sitting here?"
Lena blinked. "What?"
Sophie gave her a pointed look. "You've spent years running away from love because you were scared. But you just admitted you don't want to lose him. So what's stopping you?"
Lena's heart pounded. "What if it doesn't work?"
Sophie shrugged. "What if it does?"
Lena exhaled. "God, I hate it when you make sense."
Sophie grinned. "It's my superpower."
Lena stared down at her tea, her mind racing.
Maybe it wasn't about certainty.
Maybe it was about taking the leap anyway.
That night, Lena packed a suitcase.
She didn't have a plan. She didn't have all the answers.
But she had a ticket to New York.
And she had Ethan.
When she showed up at his apartment, suitcase in hand, Ethan's eyes widened.
"Lena…"
She took a deep breath. "I'm coming with you."
Ethan stared at her for a long moment, as if trying to make sure she was real. Then, slowly, a smile broke across his face.
"You have no idea how happy that makes me."
Lena laughed, her heart pounding. "I think I do."
And as Ethan pulled her into his arms, holding her close, Lena realized—
For the first time in her life, she wasn't running away.
She was running toward something.
Something worth fighting for.