Ava didn't realize how many decisions she was making on autopilot until one of them forced her to slow down.
Two weeks had passed since the dinner with Madison Bloom. In that time, Ava had become the unofficial lead on the luxury campaign, attending strategy sessions, hosting late-night calls, and fielding Madison's whims with the diplomatic precision of a seasoned PR minister. It was exhilarating — and exhausting.
Her relationship with Ethan, once so spark-filled and warm, had quietly begun to fray around the edges. It wasn't dramatic. There were no fights, no doors slammed, no tears. But it was in the details: the way their messages had shortened, the missed phone calls, the quiet silences that lingered too long.
One Thursday evening, Ava stood outside a private gallery in Mayfair, dressed in black silk and heels that hurt in places she didn't know could ache. Madison had invited her to an exhibition, claiming "this crowd will elevate your pitch like diamonds on velvet."
But before Ava could step inside, her phone vibrated in her hand.
Ethan: I made dinner. Thought maybe tonight we could slow down. Just us.
Her chest constricted.
She hadn't told him about the exhibition. She hadn't even realized she'd been avoiding it.
Ava: I can't tonight. It's work again.
The three blinking dots appeared, then stopped. Then again. Then stopped.
Ethan: We need to talk, Ava. Not over text. Tomorrow?
Ava: Okay.
She slipped her phone back into her clutch and walked into the gallery.
The next morning, Ava arrived at her office to find her manager, Petra, waiting at her desk with a subtle smile.
"We need to talk," she said, mirroring Ethan's message with uncanny timing.
Inside Petra's office, the mood was all business — but there was something more beneath it.
"Madison Bloom is thrilled," Petra said, folding her arms. "She wants you full-time on the account. Exclusively. And—" she paused, drawing out the moment "—there's a bigger offer on the table. One we think you're ready for."
Ava sat back, brow furrowing. "What kind of offer?"
"Ava, they want to send you to New York for six months. Creative lead. Madison's brand is expanding globally, and she specifically asked for you to be part of the rollout."
The air left Ava's lungs all at once.
New York.
Six months.
The offer of a lifetime.
But also... Ethan.
That night, they met in Hyde Park — neutral ground, less intimate than her apartment or his flat. It was cold, but neither of them seemed to mind.
Ethan was already there, leaning against the railing overlooking the Serpentine, his hands tucked into his coat pockets. When he saw her, he smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"You look tired," he said gently.
"I am."
They walked in silence for a while, the only sound their footsteps on the gravel and the soft rustle of wind through the trees.
"You've been... gone," Ethan said finally. "Not physically. But somewhere else."
"I know," Ava said. "I feel it too."
He stopped walking and turned to face her. "Do you still want this? Us?"
The question hit harder than she expected. Not because she doubted her feelings — but because she'd neglected them. She hadn't watered the garden, and now she was surprised the flowers were wilting.
"I do," she said. "But I also want this career. This chance. It's not just a job, Ethan. It's everything I've been working toward."
He nodded slowly. "And what about New York?"
Ava froze. "You know?"
"You didn't tell me," he said quietly. "Petra did. I ran into her at a shoot. She thought I already knew."
Shame flared hot in her chest. "I was going to tell you. I just—"
"Didn't know how?" he finished.
She looked away, her voice barely a whisper. "I didn't want to make you feel like you had to stop me."
"I would never stop you," Ethan said. "I love how ambitious you are. It's one of the reasons I fell for you."
She looked up at him, startled. It was the first time he'd said it — I fell for you.
But then he added, "But I won't lie to you. If you go for six months… I don't know what happens to us."
Ava's breath caught. "Are you giving me an ultimatum?"
"No," he said. "I'm being honest. I'm not built for halfway love. I want to be with someone who's here. Who lets me in. And lately, I feel like I'm standing outside your life with my hands in my pockets."
Ava blinked back sudden tears. "Ethan…"
"I'm not asking you to choose," he said. "I'm just asking you to be real with me. If this is something temporary… if this was always just a moment, just one night that turned into a few more — I need to know."
She stepped closer, heart pounding. "It was never just one night for me."
"Then fight for it," he said, voice low. "Because right now, I'm the only one swinging."
They didn't say goodbye. Not really. She watched him walk away, his figure growing smaller with every step, until he disappeared around the bend.
And for the first time since their first night together, Ava felt truly alone.
Not because he left.
But because she might have driven him away.