The Weight of Letting Go

Chapter 12

The message from Brian weighed on me all morning. I tried to ignore it, pushing it to the back of my mind while I went through the motions of getting ready for the gym. But it clung to me, reminding me of everything I thought I had left behind.

Hey. Can we talk?

I stared at the text, my thumb hovering over the screen. Every part of me wanted to delete it, to block him and move on like he didn't exist. But I couldn't. Not yet.

I sighed, tossing my phone aside as I pulled on my sneakers. The one person I knew I could talk to about this without judgment was Scott. He knew about Brian, about everything that happened between us. If anyone could help me make sense of this, it was him.

At the Café with Scott

Later that afternoon, I met up with Scott at our usual café. He was already sitting at a table by the window when I walked in, his face lighting up with a grin as he waved me over.

"Hey, Meg," he greeted, pushing a cup of coffee toward me. "You look... stressed."

I let out a heavy sigh as I slid into the chair opposite him. "Yeah, you could say that."

"What's going on?" Scott asked, his tone shifting from playful to concerned. He leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table. "You're not usually this... tense."

I hesitated for a moment, glancing down at my phone on the table. Scott and I had always been close, and he'd been there for me through the worst parts of my breakup with Brian. If anyone could understand, it was him.

"It's Brian," I finally said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Scott's eyebrows shot up. "Brian? As in... your ex?"

I nodded, feeling the weight of it all sink in. "Yeah. He texted me this morning. Out of nowhere. He wants to talk."

Scott's expression darkened, and he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Seriously? After everything that happened?"

"I know," I muttered, running a hand through my hair. "I don't know what he wants. I haven't talked to him in forever, and now, all of a sudden, he wants to catch up?"

Scott shook his head, his jaw tightening. "You can't be seriously considering talking to him, are you?"

I sighed, feeling the confusion I'd been trying to ignore bubble to the surface. "I don't know. Part of me wants to just delete the message and move on, but... I don't know. It's been messing with my head."

"Of course it is," Scott said, his tone softening. "He's popping back into your life after all this time. It's bound to stir things up."

I looked down at my coffee, swirling it in my cup as I tried to sort through my thoughts. "I thought I was over him, Scott. But now... I don't know. His message made me feel... confused."

Scott sighed, leaning forward again. "Look, I get it. I really do. Brian was a huge part of your life for a long time. But you have to remember how it ended, Meg. He hurt you. And now, he's just waltzing back in like nothing happened?"

I swallowed hard, Scott's words hitting me like a cold splash of reality. He was right. Brian had hurt me, over and over, and I'd spent so long trying to rebuild myself after everything fell apart. Why was I letting his text affect me so much?

"I know," I whispered. "It's just... I can't help but wonder why now. Why is he reaching out now, after all this time?"

Scott sighed, shaking his head. "Maybe he's bored. Maybe he's lonely. It doesn't matter, Meg. What matters is how you feel about it."

I nodded, feeling the weight of his words sink in. "And I don't know how I feel about it."

Scott reached across the table, his hand resting on mine. "Look, you've got something good going on with David, right? Don't let Brian mess with your head and ruin that. You deserve better."

A lump formed in my throat at the mention of David. "I know. But I haven't told David about the text... I just didn't know how."

Scott shrugged slightly. "You don't owe David an explanation right now. You and he... you're still figuring things out, right? You're not committed to each other yet. But if this keeps messing with you, it's only fair to let him know where your head's at. Even if it's just for your own peace of mind."

I nodded, feeling a bit of relief. "I don't want to drag Brian into this new part of my life, though. I feel like he doesn't belong there anymore."

Scott squeezed my hand gently. "Then don't let him. You're in control here, not Brian. If he wants to talk, fine. But you get to decide if you're going to let him back in. Not the other way around."

His words sent a wave of calm through me. Scott was right. I didn't need to feel guilty for not telling David, especially since things between us weren't defined yet. And Brian... I didn't owe him anything.

"I think you're right," I said, offering him a small smile. "I'll figure it out. I just... I needed to talk it through."

"Anytime," Scott said, smiling warmly at me. "Just don't forget what you've already been through. You're stronger now, Meg. Don't let Brian pull you back into that mess."

As I walked home from the café, Scott's words echoed in my mind. He was right. I didn't need to respond to Brian. I didn't need to let him back into my life. David was the one who mattered now, and I wasn't going to let my past get in the way of what could be something real.

But as I reached my apartment and pulled out my phone, another message was waiting for me, staring up at me.

Brian: Just wanted to catch up. Been thinking about you.

I stared at it for a long moment before finally turning off my phone, my mind still swirling with uncertainty. I didn't know what I was going to do, but for now, I needed to focus on what was in front of me. David. My future.

And not the ghosts of my past.