Page 96 of A Solid Guide to Surviving a Situationship

Then he stood up.

“Where are you g—” I started.

But he didn’t look back.

Just like that, he walked out, heading to the bathroom.

I stayed there, phone still in my hand, my heart quietly cracking, staring at nothing.

Then I called out for him. “Vic.”

No response.

I tried again, softer this time, but still nothing.

And I remembered the feeling that followed. Not anger, but fear. Because I had seen this before—the way he pulled away when things got uncomfortable… when I asked questions that he didn’t like.

The way one wrong question could turn into distance.

Like that night I asked what we were, and he shut me down just like that.

So easy.

So final.

And I remember how fast I backed down. How quickly I swallowed everything I actually wanted to say—because Victor felt more important than clarity.

Because losing him felt worse than staying silent.

Despite his exit, we were fine the next day. Like nothing happened.

We always came back.

I wiped my face with the back of my hand, my breathing uneven as the present slowly came back to focus.

The lights. The street. The cold pavement beneath me.

And in that moment, the truth settled in—quiet, but undeniable.

Kyle hurt me… over and over again.

But tonight, he looked me in the eye and said he was sorry.

No excuses.

No deflection.

Just the truth.

Victor never did.

And somehow, that hurt more.

Because in the end, they both left scars…

But at least one of them didn’t pretend my pain wasn’t there.

CHAPTER 12