Snow had covered Manhattan for three straight days. As the sun rose, Lacey woke up already weighed down by the past few weeks. She felt like she hadn’t left her apartment in ages, though it had only been a few days. As she walked through the living room, she glanced at the couch. Brooke had been staying with her for a month now. Everything landed in Lacey’s lap after Reuben turned out not to be the right person for her ex. Her life seemed chaotic, and she was trying to find a solution for everyone. Still, she knew someone would end up hurt, no matter what she did.

Lacey snapped out of her thoughts when her phone buzzed. A text from Syler. Recently, his messages didn’t provide reassurance. Instead, they reminded her of the decision she had to make.

“Can I see you yet?” the message said. It was simple and to the point. The bluntness stung. Syler wasn’t acting like the man she remembered from a month ago. She knew his impatience stemmed from waiting for her to decide, especially with Brooke crashing at her place.

Lacey glanced from her phone to Brooke on the sofa and sighed. She texted, “Yes, let’s go to the diner in an hour?” She understood that avoiding Syler was no longer an option. It was time to be honest with him. Her allegiance belonged to him, and she had no intention of reconciling with Brooke. Her goal was to help a friend and keep Brooke and her baby safe.

“Morning,” Brooke’s voice was quiet as she shifted from her seated position.

“Hi,” Lacey replied from her position at the kitchen counter. “Did you sleep all right?”

“As good a round person can be on a couch,” Brooke joked. Lacey actually laughed, and their usual banter returned for a moment.

“You can have my bed tonight. I have to work anyway,” Lacey told her.

Brooke shook her head. “I have to go back to my apartment and get some clothes anyway. I’ll sleep over there for a night to give you a break.”

“No. Give me the keys, and I’ll get it on my way home,” Lacey said quickly. Her heart raced at the idea of Brooke running into Reuben. If he really was violent, Lacey wanted Brooke away from him, especially now that she was pregnant.

“I’m going,” Brooke said firmly, ending the argument. Lacey recognized she couldn’t push it any further without making things tense. She wanted to keep the talks between them friendly .

“Okay, I have to go meet Syler, so I’ll come home in about an hour,” she nodded.

“Help yourself to whatever is in the fridge,” she concluded before heading into her bedroom to get ready.

Half an hour later, Lacey came out to find Brooke dozing off again. She paused for a moment, watching her ex sleep, then sighed, grabbed the blanket beside her, and covered her before leaving to meet Syler.

The cold air hit Lacey as she stepped outside. She didn’t want to be out or face Syler, but she realized she owed him the truth. Brooke was hard to explain, and Lacey wondered if she harbored feelings for her. Still, she intended to stay focused on the present. After a short walk, she arrived at the diner and went in. Syler wore an unwelcoming look. He seemed worried and distant, and guilt built up in Lacey’s chest. He had always cared for her, and she avoided him without a word.

“Hi,” she greeted shyly as she slid into the booth across from where he sat.

“Hello,” he replied, his eyes never once leaving hers, almost as if they were searching for what she was going to say before she said it.

It was time to be honest. “My ex stopped by the bar the night I was supposed to see you,” Lacey started. “She’s pregnant and trying to get away from her current boyfriend because he hurt her.”

She clasped her hands together, trying to calm herself. What if Syler didn’t believe her? Or, what if he left at the first sign of conflict? Her mind raced with questions.

“I let her stay at my condo. She’s been with me for a month,” she concluded, searching Syler’s eyes to see if she could predict his next sentence before he spoke one.

Syler’s jaw tightened as he tried to hide his discomfort about Lacey’s ex staying so close. His gaze shifted from her eyes to the table in front of them.

“And you didn’t think to share any of this until today?” he sighed. “Do you still love her? I can’t think of any other reason I’ve given that would justify withholding this information from me for a whole month.”

His words made the room tense. Syler didn’t hold back, and Lacey felt speechless. “I…” she started, but fear stopped her. She was afraid of losing the only peace she’d found since moving somewhere new.

“I don’t know,” she finally said. “I just want her to be safe, and I don’t want to mess up what we have. You matter to me. You are a good man, and I don’t want to lose that.” Her voice shook as she spoke. She knew this talk would change everything.

Syler shook his head at her answer. His strained facial expression displayed his restraint. “When you figure that out, call me,” he said, then stood up and left the diner. He didn’t yell or cause a scene. It was a quiet statement. He wouldn’t let himself be an afterthought. Lacey alone faced the situation. Was Brooke worth losing her peace? Was Syler just a rebound or something more? She sat in the booth, unsure what to do next.

When the server came by, she frowned, seeing what was taking place. “How about I get you a coffee on the house?” she offered.

Lacey just nodded, waiting for the hot coffee and trying to process everything. Her indecision had brought her to this point. Brooke remained in her life, and now Lacey had to figure out what that meant. All avoidance only increased her sense of isolation. Her protectiveness of her former lover only compromised her emotional safety. She found herself angrier as the moments passed without Syler across from her. Brooke once again disrupted her life in undesired ways. Logic was leading the heart in the moment of clarity for her, but how long would it last? Thanking the server as she returned with the coffee, she wrapped her hands around the mug’s warmth, thankful for the comforting sensation. Right now, she needed to gather her thoughts and figure out how to restore order to her world without worrying others.

Editor: Lucy Cafiero