The next morning, everyone gathered around the big breakfast table at the party. The air smelled like fresh pancakes and scrambled eggs, and everyone was talking and laughing. Emily tried her best to seem normal, to act like everything was okay, but deep down, her heart was still hurting. She kept looking over at Ryan, sitting a few seats away from her wondering what he was thinking. “So, Ryan,”  “are you seeing anyone? Got a girlfriend yet?”
Everyone teased him .
Emily froze when she heard the question. Her heart skipped a beat. She didn’t know why, but she felt suddenly nervous. It wasn’t like she wanted to know, but she couldn’t help but wonder what he would say.

Ryan, then casually replied, "Yeah, actually, I do. I’ve got a girlfriend."
Emily felt like the room went silent for a moment. Her stomach twisted in shock. She blinked, not sure if she had heard him right. A girlfriend? And why hadn’t he told me anything before?

Everyone at the table seemed to react, some of them surprised, others curious. Olivia glanced at Emily, noticing how shocked she looked. Emily’s face went pale, and she quickly looked down at her plate, trying to hide the way her hands were trembling. He just smiled and said, “Yeah, she’s great. We’ve been seeing each other for a while now.”

Emily’s mind was racing. A girlfriend? Was that why he had been acting so distant? Why didn’t he tell me sooner?  She didn’t know what to do. Olivia noticed how quiet Emily had become. She could tell her friend was upset, but Emily was trying so hard to keep it together. Olivia wanted to say something, to help, but she knew this was something Emily would have to process on her own.

Emily took a deep breath and forced a smile, trying to act calm . She wanted to run away, but instead, she just stayed at the table, staring at her food, trying to keep her emotions in check.

After a few moments of silence, Emily couldn’t keep the questions inside anymore. She stood up from the table, her heart racing as she walked over to where Ryan was standing . Emily tried to stay calm, but her voice still wavered as she asked, “Ryan, are you really having a girlfriend?” Ryan looked up at her, and for a moment, there was a strange look in his eyes, like he didn’t expect Emily to ask that. He seemed a little uncomfortable but didn’t hesitate to answer. “Yeah,” he said . “When I was leaving that old school, that’s when I started seeing someone. Her name’s Luna. I’ve been living with her for a while now.”

Emily blinked, taking in what he said. Luna? She hadn’t expected that at all.  And was living with someone else. But she knew she had to keep her cool. This wasn’t about him anymore.

She took a deep breath and looked at him one last time. “You know, Ryan,” Emily said, her voice steadier now, “I moved on from you. It was just a school love, a thing from the past. I don’t love you anymore.”
Ryan didn’t say anything right away. He just stared at her, looking a little surprised. But Emily didn’t care. She was done. She wasn’t going to hold onto something that wasn’t real anymore.

“I hope you have a good life, Ryan,” she added, her voice softer but firm. Ryan’s face changed for a second, like he wanted to say something back, but then he just nodded. “Okay, Emily. I understand.”

Emily turned away, her heart still heavy, but she felt a little lighter too. She didn’t have to pretend anymore. She was done with the past, with Ryan, and now she could focus on moving forward with her life.

Emily walked back to the table . She had said what needed to be said. It wasn’t easy, but she had finally let go. Are you okay?” Olivia asked, her voice soft with concern.

Emily nodded, forcing a small smile. “Yeah, I’m okay,” she said, but her eyes still seemed distant. “I told him everything. I told him that I’ve moved on.”  “I don’t know… part of me feels okay, but another part of me feels sad. Like, I just lost something, even though I knew it was already gone.”

Olivia placed a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay to feel sad, but remember, you did what was best for you. You can’t keep holding on to something that’s not there anymore. You’re stronger than you think.”
Emily sighed and looked down at her juice. “It’s just hard, you know? To see him so happy with someone else. I guess I thought there was still something between us… but now I know it’s not.

After breakfast, Emily decided it was time to head home after all the party. She felt exhausted,  but she also felt a sense of relief. She was starting to understand that moving on wasn’t just about forgetting; it was about accepting what had happened and making peace with it. “Olivia,” Ryan  said, his voice low. “Can we talk? I really need to explain something. "I don’t want anything to talk right now, Ryan," she said sharply. "You’re just a piece of shit, you know that? I thought you meant something to me as a best friend, but I was wrong." "I thought you were better than this," she continued, her voice breaking. "I really did. But now I see you for what you really are. A coward who runs away when things get tough, and then comes back expecting everything to just be fine."Ryan looked down at the ground, clearly ashamed.
"I don’t care about your apology," she said, her voice cold now. "I just hope you leave Emily alone and stop making her feel like she’s not worth anything . She’s so much better than you." He looked down, as if trying to gather his thoughts. “I know I messed up, okay? I know I hurt Emily, and I… I just don’t know how to fix it. But I wanted to tell you something. About Luna.” “She’s great,” Ryan said, his voice softer now. I just want to explain to her ...  Olivia felt her chest tighten. “So what? You just think you can walk into her life and talk like you were before huhh ???.
Ryan shook his head quickly. “No! That’s not what I mean. I just—I don’t want to leave things like this, you know? I want to be a better person. I don’t want to hurt her anymore.” Olivia sighed, not sure how to react. “Ryan, it’s too late for that. Emily’s moving on. She’s stronger than you think. She’s going to be fine.”
With that, she turned and walked away, feeling a mix of relief and frustration. Ryan might’ve said all the right words, but Olivia knew it would take more than just a few apologies to fix the mess he’d made.