The Quiet After
Lydia did not leave that night.
She stayed because she knew Sienna would pretend she was fine if left alone. She stayed because silence could be dangerous when heartbreak was still fresh. And mostly, she stayed because best friends did not abandon each other in moments like this.
They sat on the couch for a long time without saying anything.
The apartment felt different. Too quiet. Too empty in places where noise used to exist. The absence of him was loud, even though Lydia knew that absence was a blessing.
Sienna hugged the blanket tighter around herself.
"I feel stupid," she said quietly.
Lydia glanced at her. "You already said that."
"And you already told me I'm not."
"Yes."
"But I still feel it," Sienna replied.
Lydia nodded slowly. "Feelings don't disappear just because they're wrong."
Sienna let out a small breath. "I keep replaying everything in my head. Every time I defended him. Every excuse I made."
"That's normal," Lydia said. "Your brain is trying to make sense of betrayal."
"I trusted him with my home," Sienna whispered. "That feels so intimate. Like I didn't just lose a boyfriend, I lost my safety."
Lydia reached for her hand. "You didn't lose it. You took it back."
Sienna looked down at their joined hands. "Do you really think I did the right thing?"
Lydia did not hesitate. "Yes."
"But what if he changes?" Sienna asked. "What if this was really just a mistake?"
Lydia sighed softly. "Sienna, cheating is not an accident. It's a decision."
Sienna swallowed. "He kept saying he was stressed."
"So were you," Lydia replied. "But you didn't cheat."
That landed.
Sienna leaned back against the couch. "I don't even miss him. I just miss who I thought he was."
"That version of him only existed in your hope," Lydia said gently.
They sat quietly again.
After a while, Sienna spoke. "You never liked him."
"No," Lydia admitted. "I tried. For you. But something always felt off."
"What was it?"
"He took more than he gave," Lydia said. "Not just money. Emotionally."
Sienna nodded slowly. "I was always tired."
"I noticed."
"I thought love was supposed to feel like effort."
"It is," Lydia said. "But it's not supposed to feel like exhaustion."
Sienna's eyes filled again, but this time the tears did not fall.
"I don't know how I'm supposed to trust anyone again."
"You don't have to figure that out tonight," Lydia said. "Or tomorrow. Or next week."
"But what if this keeps happening?" Sienna asked. "What if I'm the problem?"
Lydia turned fully toward her. "Listen to me."
Sienna looked up.
"You are not the problem," Lydia said firmly. "Your kindness just met the wrong person."
Sienna sniffed. "You make it sound so simple."
"It's not simple," Lydia admitted. "But it is true."
Sienna wiped her face slowly. "I hate that I still feel bad for him."
"That means you have empathy," Lydia said. "Not weakness."
There was a soft knock on the door again.
Sienna stiffened immediately.
Lydia stood up. "Stay."
She walked to the door and listened for a second.
His voice came through, low and desperate. "Sienna. Please. I just want to talk."
Lydia rested her forehead briefly against the door, then straightened and opened it just enough to face him.
"She doesn't want to talk," Lydia said calmly.
"She's upset," he replied. "She'll regret this."
"No," Lydia said. "She'll heal."
He scoffed. "You're turning her against me."
"You did that yourself."
He looked past Lydia into the apartment. "Tell her I'm sorry."
Lydia met his eyes. "You're not sorry you cheated. You're sorry you got caught."
His jaw tightened. "You think you're better than me?"
"No," Lydia replied. "I think she deserves better."
She closed the door and locked it.
When she turned around, Sienna was watching her.
"He's gone?" Sienna asked.
"Yes."
"For good?"
"Yes."
Sienna exhaled slowly, like she had been holding her breath for days.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Lydia sat back beside her. "You don't owe him closure. You owe yourself peace."
Sienna nodded. "I don't want to be alone tonight."
"You're not," Lydia said. "I'm sleeping here."
Sienna gave a tired smile. "You don't have to."
"I want to."
They leaned back against the couch, shoulder to shoulder.
"Do you know what scares me the most?" Sienna asked quietly.
"What?"
"That one day I'll stop feeling angry… and feel lonely instead."
Lydia thought for a moment. "Loneliness comes and goes. But staying in the wrong place lasts forever."
Sienna closed her eyes.
The apartment was still quiet.
But for the first time, it didn't feel unsafe.
It felt like space.
Room to breathe.
Room to begin again.
---
Morning Light
Sienna woke up slowly.
Not because she wanted to, but because something smelled… good.
She frowned slightly, still half-asleep, pulling the blanket closer around herself. Her body felt heavy, the kind of tired that sleep did not fix. For a brief moment, she forgot everything. The heartbreak. The shouting. The door slamming.
Then it all came rushing back.
Her chest tightened.
She turned her face into the pillow, letting out a small sigh. She had not cried herself to sleep like she expected to. Lydia had stayed with her, talked to her until her thoughts slowed, until the pain dulled just enough for sleep to come.
And now, something warm and sweet filled the air.
Pancakes.
Sienna's stomach betrayed her with a small growl.
She frowned again. "No way," she muttered to herself.
She pushed herself up and sat on the bed, listening. There were soft sounds coming from the kitchen. The clink of a spatula. Low humming. Someone moving around comfortably, like they belonged there.
Lydia.
Sienna swung her legs off the bed and stood slowly, padding toward the door. As she stepped into the hallway, the smell grew stronger. Butter. Syrup. Something slightly burnt in a good way.
She leaned against the doorframe and watched.
Lydia stood at the stove in one of Sienna's oversized shirts, her hair tied up messily. A plate already sat on the counter with a stack of pancakes beside it. The kitchen window was open, letting in morning light.
For a second, Sienna just stared.
It felt strange. Peaceful. Like a scene from a life she did not realize she had been missing.
"Good morning, heartbroken but alive," Lydia said without turning around.
Sienna smiled weakly. "You knew I was awake?"
"I could feel your hunger," Lydia replied. "And also the dramatic sigh from the bedroom."
Sienna laughed softly. It surprised her. The sound felt unfamiliar in her own ears.
"You didn't have to do this," she said, stepping closer.
"I know," Lydia said, flipping a pancake. "That's why I did."
Sienna sat down at the small table, pulling the chair closer. "You're spoiling me."
"You deserve it," Lydia replied simply.
She placed the plate in front of Sienna and poured syrup generously on top. "Eat."
Sienna stared at the food for a moment. "I don't think I'm hungry."
Lydia raised an eyebrow. "You literally smelled this from the bedroom."
"Okay, maybe a little."
She picked up her fork and took a small bite.
Her eyes closed instantly.
"Oh my God," she said quietly. "This is really good."
"I know," Lydia said proudly. "I stress-cook."
Sienna took another bite, slower this time. "Thank you. For staying."
Lydia leaned against the counter. "I wasn't going anywhere."
They ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes.
Then Sienna spoke. "I slept better than I expected."
"Because you didn't have to worry about anyone but yourself," Lydia said.
Sienna nodded. "I forgot what that felt like."
Lydia studied her carefully. "How do you feel?"
Sienna thought about it. "Sad. Tired. But also… lighter."
"That's progress," Lydia said.
Sienna hesitated. "He didn't come back, did he?"
"No," Lydia replied. "And if he did, I would have chased him away with the frying pan."
Sienna smiled faintly. "You're scary when you're protective."
"As I should be."
They finished eating, and Lydia started cleaning up. Sienna stood to help, but Lydia waved her off.
"Sit," she said. "You did enough emotional labor yesterday."
Sienna sat back down. "So what's the plan for today?"
Lydia turned slowly, a grin spreading across her face. "Funny you should ask."
Sienna narrowed her eyes. "I don't like that look."
"We're going out tonight," Lydia said brightly.
Sienna blinked. "Out… where?"
"To a club."
The word hit her like cold water.
"A club?" Sienna repeated. "No. Absolutely not."
Lydia groaned dramatically. "Why does everyone react like that?"
"Because my life just fell apart," Sienna replied. "I don't feel like dancing."
"That's exactly why we're going," Lydia said. "It's Saturday. You don't have work. And you're not allowed to rot in bed."
"I wasn't planning to rot," Sienna said defensively.
"You were planning to emotionally rot," Lydia corrected.
Sienna sighed. "I don't have the energy."
"You don't need energy," Lydia said. "You need distraction."
"I don't want to see couples," Sienna added. "Or happy people."
"Good news," Lydia said. "Clubs are full of people pretending to be happy."
Sienna snorted despite herself.
"I don't even know what I'd wear," she said.
"Even better," Lydia replied. "That means shopping."
"No."
"Yes."
"I'm not ready," Sienna said quietly.
Lydia's expression softened. She walked over and crouched in front of her. "We're not going to look for love. We're not going to talk about him. We're just going to go out. Dance. Laugh. Remind you that you still exist outside of heartbreak."
Sienna looked away. "What if I break down?"
"Then I'll hold you in the bathroom," Lydia said without hesitation.
Sienna swallowed. "What if I don't want to talk to anyone?"
"Then you won't," Lydia replied. "You'll just dance with me."
Sienna hesitated.
The idea scared her.
But staying inside all day, replaying everything, scared her too.
"Just for a little while," she said finally.
Lydia jumped up. "Yes!"
"Don't get too excited," Sienna warned.
"Too late," Lydia replied. "I'm already planning your outfit."
Sienna shook her head slowly, but there was the tiniest smile on her lips.
For the first time since everything happened, she felt something unfamiliar.
Not happiness.
But possibility.
And for now, that was enough.