Nothing dramatic.
A slow first-date kiss outside her building.
Then I went home.
I told nobody.
Marissa did not post anything.
Still, Tara knew by six the next morning.
I woke to pounding on the apartment door.
“Alex!”
I sat up.
“Open the door.”
More pounding.
I checked the time.
6:07 a.m.
I walked into the hallway but did not open immediately.
“Tara?”
“Who else?”
“It’s six in the morning.”
“I don’t care.”
“What do you want?”
“You kissed her.”
I rubbed my face.
“Tara.”
“Open the door.”
I opened it far enough to stand in the entrance.
Tara looked awful.
Hair messy.
Eyes swollen.
Same clothes she had apparently worn the previous evening.
“You’re doing this to hurt me.”
“No.”
“Bullshit.”
“I went on a date.”
“With my best friend.”
“Yes.”
“You knew exactly what it would do to me.”
“No.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I knew you wouldn’t like it. That isn’t the same as doing it for you.”
Tara tried to step forward.
I stayed in the doorway.
“Move.”
“No.”
“I have things in there.”
“Then we schedule pickup like we agreed.”
“You’re keeping me out of my own apartment.”
“You moved out.”
“I lived there a year.”
“Yes.”
“Move.”
“No.”
Tara stared at me.
For the first time, I felt genuinely uncomfortable.
Not threatened exactly.
But aware that her emotional state was no longer respecting the boundaries of the conversation.
“You need to leave.”
“Alex.”
“Not at six in the morning.”
She started crying.
“You replaced me with Marissa.”
“No.”
“You did.”
“You ended our relationship.”
“I said I needed space.”
“You said we were better as friends.”
“I didn’t say go sleep with my best friend.”
“We have not slept together.”
“That is not the point.”
“Then what is?”
Tara wiped her face angrily.
“You were supposed to care.”
There it was.
“I did care.”
“Then how can you do this?”
“Because caring does not mean waiting.”
She stared.
I softened my voice.
“You chose to end the relationship.”
“I know.”
“You are allowed to regret that.”
Her face crumpled.
“But regret doesn’t undo it automatically.”
“You could give me another chance.”
“What changed?”
Tara looked at me.
“Everything.”
“No.”