Chapter 5: A Place of My Own

I crashed at Becca's place for the night.

When I came out of the shower, she was hanging my clothes in the guest room one by one.

She didn't ask anything and only said, "You can stay as long as you want."

Those words made my nose sting.

After being with Cole for six years, I had grown used to explaining every decision I made to him.

I had forgotten what it felt like to have someone simply give me a place to breathe.

I sat on the edge of the bed and stared at my phone.

There were already seventeen missed calls from Cole.

I didn't return any of them.

A message appeared a few minutes later.

"Where are you?"

Then another.

"You can't just disappear like this."

I almost laughed.

For five months, he had disappeared from my life whenever Elise needed him.

Now that I had stopped waiting for him, he suddenly remembered that I existed.

Becca glanced at my phone from across the room.

"You don't have to answer him."

"I know."

For the first time, I truly did.

The next morning, I went to work early.

My transfer to Lakeside had already been approved, so I spent most of the day organizing my projects and preparing the handover documents.

My manager looked surprised when I told him I was leaving in two weeks.

"You changed your mind quickly."

"I should have done it earlier."

He studied me for a moment before smiling.

"Lakeside needs someone to lead the new team. I recommended you."

I froze.

"Me?"

"You've been doing the work for years. It's time you stopped letting someone else's plans decide where your career goes."

Those words stayed with me all afternoon.

On my way home, I stopped by the apartment to collect the rest of my things.

The moment I opened the door, I heard laughter from the living room.

Elise was sitting on the sofa with her cat curled beside her.

Cole was in the kitchen making coffee.

The scene looked so natural that for a second I wondered if I had walked into the wrong apartment.

Then Cole saw me.

His expression changed immediately.

"Mara."

I walked past him without answering.

Elise stood up. "I can leave if you need to pack."

"You don't have to."

I opened the closet and pulled out my suitcase.

"This isn't my home anymore."

Cole followed me into the bedroom.

"You're really leaving?"

"Yes."

"For Lakeside?"

"Yes."

His jaw tightened.

"You already made the decision without discussing it with me?"

I looked at him in disbelief.

"Why would I discuss my future with my ex-boyfriend?"

He went silent.

I folded the last of my clothes and placed them inside the suitcase.

Then I opened the drawer beside the bed and took out the small velvet box hidden beneath my old documents.

Inside was the ring Cole had given me three years ago.

He had once promised that when the time was right, he would replace it with a real engagement ring.

The time had apparently never been right.

I placed the ring on the dresser.

"You can keep this."

Cole stared at it.

"Why?"

"Because it doesn't mean anything to me anymore."

His face changed.

"Mara, don't say things like that."

"I'm not angry anymore, Cole."

I closed my suitcase.

"That's the problem."

For the first time, he looked genuinely afraid.

Before I could leave, my phone rang.

It was my manager.

I answered immediately.

"Hello?"

His voice came through clearly.

"Mara, there's one more thing. The Lakeside position comes with a company apartment. You won't need to worry about housing when you arrive."

I smiled.

"Thank you. I'll take it."

Cole heard every word.

When I hung up, he stared at me.

"You already have a place to live?"

"Yes."

"So you really planned to leave me."

I lifted my suitcase handle.

"No, Cole. You planned to lose me."

I walked toward the door.

This time, I didn't wait for him to stop me.