The silence was deafening.
Callie sat on the wooden porch of the lake house, a cup of untouched coffee growing cold in her hands. The waves lapped against the shore in a steady rhythm, the only sound accompanying the ache in her chest.
Days had passed—maybe three, maybe four—since she had left Kyle. She hadn't checked her phone, hadn't answered the few messages from friends asking if she was okay. Because how could she answer when she didn't even know herself?
She had built her entire life around him. They had met in college, grown together, planned for a future she had been so sure of. And now, that future was gone.
What was she supposed to do with herself now?
A sharp gust of wind whipped through the trees, making her shiver. She pulled her sweater tighter around her, her mind replaying the moment she saw that message.
It had taken only a few words from a stranger to undo everything.
"I know it's wrong but just want you to know that I had fun."
Her stomach twisted.
Was he thinking about that woman while she was here, breaking apart? Was she pathetic for still missing him despite what he had done?
Callie exhaled sharply, blinking away tears.
Anger simmered beneath the heartbreak. Anger at Kyle. At herself. At the years she had wasted.
But the hardest part wasn't losing him—it was losing the version of herself that had existed with him.
Who was she without Kyle Walker?
The question hung heavy in the crisp morning air, one she didn't have an answer for.
Maybe she wasn't ready to let go yet. Maybe she needed more time to grieve the life she thought she would have.
But one thing was clear.
She couldn't stay stuck in the past.
Kyle had made his choice.
Now, she had to make hers.