Lana sat on the edge of her bed, her phone still clutched tightly in her hand, the screen glowing with the two messages that had turned her stomach into knots.
Marcus's words had been simple, warm: I miss you. Come over?
But it was Nina's message that echoed louder: I know I shouldn't call him, but I don't know who else to turn to. Please don't be mad.
Lana stared at the screen, her mind racing. She didn't want to overreact — she hated overreacting — but the fear in her chest was real. After everything she'd been through with Adrian, she wasn't sure she had the strength to walk that road again.
But Marcus wasn't Adrian. She needed to remember that.
Taking a deep breath, she typed out a reply.
Lana: I'll be there soon.
She grabbed her bag and keys, but the knot in her stomach stayed with her all the way to his apartment.
When Marcus opened the door, his face broke into a soft smile. "Hey," he said, pulling her into his arms. "I missed you."
For a moment, the warmth of his embrace eased her anxiety. She let herself melt against him, the familiar scent of his cologne grounding her. But the questions still hovered at the edge of her mind.
As they settled on the couch, Marcus tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You okay? You seem… quiet."
Lana hesitated. She didn't want to ruin the night — didn't want to seem insecure — but the words spilled out before she could stop them.
"Is everything okay with Nina?"
Marcus's body stiffened just slightly, but the change was enough for her to notice. "Yeah," he said after a beat. "She's just… going through some stuff."
"She texted me," Lana said softly. "I didn't respond, but… it made me wonder. Are you sure there's nothing still there?"
His eyes softened, and he reached for her hand. "Lana, I promise you — there's nothing romantic between me and Nina. We were together for a long time, and sometimes she leans on me. But that's all it is. I care about her well-being, but my heart? It's with you."
The sincerity in his voice calmed her, but doubt still whispered at the edges of her mind. She wanted to believe him — and for now, she would try.
"Okay," she said, her voice quiet. "I just… I've been hurt before, and I don't want to go through that again."
"You won't," Marcus said softly, brushing his lips against her forehead. "I'm not him, Lana."
And she wanted so badly to believe that.
The days that followed were filled with warmth and familiarity, but the shadow of Nina's presence never quite faded. Every time Marcus's phone buzzed, Lana wondered if it was her. Every time he seemed distracted, the doubt crept back in.
One evening, as they sat on his balcony watching the sunset, Lana finally gave voice to her fear.
"I feel like there's something you're not telling me," she said quietly.
Marcus sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's not like that. Nina's… struggling. And I want to help her, but I know it's a tricky situation. I don't want you to feel threatened by it, because you don't need to be."
"But why does she still turn to you?" Lana asked, her voice laced with frustration. "Why can't she lean on someone else?"
"Because she doesn't have anyone else," Marcus said, his voice soft. "And as much as I care about you, I can't just turn my back on someone who once meant so much to me."
The words stung, even though she knew he didn't mean them to.
"I get that," Lana whispered. "But where does that leave me?"
He looked at her then, his eyes filled with a quiet desperation. "With me. Always with me."
But for the first time, Lana wasn't sure that was true.
The tension between them grew, subtle but ever-present. And one evening, when Marcus canceled their dinner plans at the last minute, the doubt she'd been trying to push away finally broke free.
She didn't want to be that person — the one who checked up on their partner, who let jealousy get the best of them. But the worry gnawed at her until she found herself standing outside his apartment building, her heart pounding.
When she reached his door, she hesitated. But before she could knock, voices drifted through the thin wood — one of them unmistakably Nina's.
Lana's stomach dropped.
She didn't want to listen, but the words came through too clearly to ignore.
"I just don't know what I'd do without you," Nina said, her voice thick with emotion.
"You'll be okay," Marcus replied, his tone gentle — too gentle. "I'm here for you."
Lana's chest tightened, and the hurt she'd tried so hard to keep at bay crashed over her. She turned and walked away, the sound of their voices following her down the hallway.
She didn't answer his calls that night — or the next day. The space between them grew, and when Marcus showed up at her door two days later, the sight of him made her heart ache.
"Lana, please," he said, his voice breaking. "Talk to me."
"I heard you," she whispered. "I heard what you said to her."
"It's not what you think," he insisted. "She's going through a rough time, and I didn't know how to say no. But it doesn't change how I feel about you."
"But it does change how I feel," she said softly. "I need someone who puts me first. And right now… I don't feel like that's happening."
Marcus's eyes filled with regret. "Please don't walk away from this. From us."
"I don't want to," Lana whispered. "But I also don't want to fight for someone who's still holding on to the past."
The silence stretched between them, heavy and painful.
"I love you," Marcus said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Her heart cracked at the words she'd longed to hear — but now they felt too late.
"I love you too," she said, tears brimming in her eyes. "But love isn't always enough."
And as she closed the door behind him, the sound of her heart breaking was deafening.