When Dreams Collide: Y/N and Elizabeth Olsen RE WRITING

Chapter 19: Life in the Spotlight (Continued)

Chapter 19: Life in the Spotlight (Continued)

The laughter from dinner had faded, leaving a calm, cozy silence in the apartment. Y/N leaned against the kitchen counter, a glass of water in hand, when their phone buzzed on the marble surface. They glanced at the screen and froze for a moment.

It was a message from Lizzie.

Curiosity swirled in Y/N’s chest as they unlocked the phone and opened it.

“Congrats on everything. Wishing you both the best.”

The message was simple, polite, and devoid of bitterness, but it carried a weight that only Y/N could truly understand. Lizzie. The name alone felt like opening an old, forgotten door, letting in a gust of memories that smelled of rainy nights, shared playlists, and whispered promises that had faded into silence.

Y/N stared at the message for a long moment, the sounds of laughter floating in from the living room. Dua was perched on the couch, leaning over the coffee table as she tried to balance a precarious stack of blocks in a heated game of Jenga with Gale and Rachel. Her laugh rang out, bright and unrestrained, making the tension in Y/N’s chest loosen just a little.

Setting the phone down, Y/N didn’t reply. Not yet.

Instead, they walked back into the living room and sat beside Dua, who instantly turned to them with a grin. “Hey, love! Watch this—I’m about to make history.”

“Or destroy everything,” Gale teased, smirking.

Rachel shook her head, laughing. “She’s doomed.”

Y/N chuckled, watching as Dua’s hand wavered slightly. The tower swayed dangerously before miraculously holding steady. Dua gasped dramatically, throwing her arms up in victory.

“Legendary!” she declared, her cheeks flushed with excitement as Y/N clapped for her.

“Okay, I’ll admit, that was impressive,” Y/N said, leaning closer to kiss her cheek. “You’re full of surprises tonight.”

“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Dua teased, her eyes sparkling as she reached for another block.

Y/N glanced around the room, taking in the scene. Gale was laughing so hard she nearly spilled her drink, while Rachel muttered something about a “Jenga prodigy.” The warm glow of the lamps bathed everything in soft light, and for a moment, Y/N felt utterly content.

Closure

Later that night, after Gale and Rachel had left and the apartment had fallen quiet, Y/N returned to their phone. Lizzie’s message still lingered there, waiting.

They sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the words. It was strange—reading them didn’t hurt like they thought it might. Instead, it felt… peaceful. Like the final stitch on a wound that had long since healed.

Lizzie had been a significant part of their life once, and while things had ended messily, there had always been a lingering sense of unfinished business. Now, this message felt like a door quietly clicking shut—a gentle goodbye rather than a slammed one.

Y/N typed a response, then deleted it. They didn’t need to rush. Some things deserved time, and they knew they’d find the right words when it felt right.

Instead, they placed the phone face down on the nightstand and slid into bed beside Dua, who was already half-asleep, her hand reaching instinctively for Y/N’s.

“Everything okay?” Dua murmured sleepily, her voice soft in the dark.

“Yeah,” Y/N whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Everything’s perfect.”

Lizzie’s Reflection

Across town, Lizzie sat on her couch, the faint hum of the TV filling the quiet apartment. Lucky, her golden retriever, was sprawled at her feet, wagging his tail lazily whenever she reached down to scratch his ears.

She’d been scrolling through Instagram earlier when she saw it: a photo of Y/N and Dua at some charity event, their smiles radiant as they posed hand-in-hand. Lizzie hadn’t meant to click on the post, but she had, and before she knew it, she was lost in the comments.

“Couple goals!”
“They’re so perfect together.”
“Y/N looks so happy. Dua, you’re one lucky woman!”

Lizzie sighed, setting her phone down. She wasn’t bitter—not anymore. It had taken time, but she’d come to terms with how things had ended. Y/N had moved on, and so had she. Well, mostly.

Lucky barked softly, drawing her attention. She smiled, scratching his head. “Yeah, bud, I know. I’m being dramatic.”

She reached for her phone and, without overthinking, typed out a message to Y/N.

“Congrats on everything. Wishing you both the best.”

Hitting send felt like letting out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. It wasn’t much, but it was enough. A small step toward closure, toward fully letting go.

The TV droned on in the background, and Lizzie smiled faintly when Y/N’s name popped up in a segment about the Jimmy Kimmel interview.

“They’re happy,” she said softly, more to herself than to Lucky. “And so am I. Or… I will be.”

She glanced at a flyer on the coffee table—an ad for an art class she’d been meaning to sign up for. Maybe now was the time to try something new, to embrace the possibilities waiting for her.

Lucky barked again, wagging his tail as if in agreement.

Lizzie laughed, leaning down to kiss the top of his head. “Alright, buddy. Let’s see what’s next for us.”

And as she sat back with Lucky curled up beside her, Lizzie felt the faintest flicker of hope.

Y/N didn’t reply to Lizzie’s message that night or the next. It wasn’t out of malice, but because they knew some moments didn’t need words. Some closures happened quietly, without fanfare. And in the silence, both Y/N and Lizzie found a kind of peace they hadn’t realized they needed.