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Imani hesitated at the door, her heart pounding in her chest. She could see Trent sitting at the small kitchen table of her apartment, his long legs stretched out as he scrolled through his phone. He looked so at ease there, as if he belonged in her space. And in a way, he had—once.
It was strange seeing him now, especially after everything. Trent, her ex, and now the guy crashing on her couch for the international break. Life had a twisted sense of humor.
She had agreed to let him stay because, despite their breakup, she couldn't bring herself to kick him out. It was only for three days, and he had nowhere else to go. Their relationship had been strained lately, especially after he accused her of being involved with Jude. Nothing had happened between her and Jude, but Trent's accusations had left a rift between them.
Taking a deep breath, Imani stepped forward. "Trent, can we talk?"
He looked up from his phone, his expression neutral but with a hint of something—maybe irritation, maybe something softer. "What's up?" he asked, setting his phone down and leaning back in the chair.
Imani walked over, feeling the weight of the conversation before she even spoke. "I want to apologize," she said, her voice steady despite the nerves beneath. "For everything. For how things ended between us. I let things get so... messy."
Trent watched her, his face unreadable, then he sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Imani, I was out of line too. I shouldn't have accused you of... well, you know. I was frustrated, angry, and I took it out on you. I was wrong."
The apology caught her off guard. Trent rarely admitted fault, especially when it came to emotional matters. Imani felt a flicker of relief.
"You had every right to be upset," Imani said quietly. "Things were messy, and I didn't handle it well. But Jude and I... nothing happened between us. I was just trying to figure myself out, and I didn't mean for it to affect you or us."
Trent nodded slowly, his eyes softening as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I guess I felt... I don't know. Replaced? I wasn't sure what was happening, and then suddenly, you were with Jude. I thought maybe you were moving on with him, and it stung."
Imani swallowed hard, feeling a pang of guilt. "I get that. And I'm sorry if I made you feel that way. But I wasn't trying to replace anyone. I've just been lost, and I didn't know how to deal with it. It was never about Jude or you, really. It was about me, not knowing what I wanted."
They sat in silence, the weight of the past few weeks hanging between them. Finally, Trent sighed and stood up, walking over to stand by the window. "I guess I just didn't want to admit that we're really done, you know?" His voice was softer now, vulnerable in a way Imani hadn't heard in a long time. "Living here, even just for a break, made me remember what it was like when we were... together. Before everything went sideways."
Imani blinked, her throat tightening. She had thought about that too—their time together. The way things had been before their breakup. They hadn't ended on terrible terms, but the cracks had been there, slowly widening until they couldn't ignore them anymore.
"Trent," she began, her voice soft but firm, "we both know it wasn't working back then. We wanted different things. And even if we tried again now, it would still end up the same way."
He turned around, meeting her eyes, and for a moment, she saw a flicker of regret or acceptance. "Yeah," he said quietly, "I know. I just needed to hear it from you."
Imani nodded, the heaviness lifting ever so slightly from her chest. "But that doesn't mean we can't be on good terms now. I want us to be okay, Trent. You're still important to me, and I don't want this... mess to keep hanging over us."
Trent gave a small, wry smile, his arms crossing over his chest. "Yeah. I want that too. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but we can start over. No hard feelings."
The relief that flooded Imani was almost overwhelming. She hadn't realized how much she had been holding onto, how much this conversation had meant to her.
