The apartment felt colder without him.
Athena stayed at a friend's dorm for the first few nights after the fight. She told herself it was temporary—that they just needed space, time, clarity. But deep down, she felt a shift. Something had cracked between them, and she didn't know if it could be mended.
Days turned into a week.
Mason didn't call.
She didn't either.
In the quiet moments between classes and study groups, Athena kept replaying the argument in her head—his words, her own. The way his voice had lost its warmth. The way her chest had burned when she left, unsure if it was anger or heartbreak.
Eli checked in, but she kept things light. She didn't want to lean on him again, not when her heart still belonged to Mason—fractured pieces and all.
Meanwhile, Mason buried himself in football. Practice, meetings, film review—anything to keep his mind off the hollow feeling in his chest. He went home to an empty apartment each night, half-expecting to hear Athena's voice or see her messy stack of books by the couch.
But she was gone.
And it was his fault.
Coach noticed the change in him—how his plays were tighter, but his energy seemed… off.
"Something on your mind, Black?" Coach asked after practice one day.
Mason wiped sweat from his brow, chest heaving. "Yeah. Everything."
The coach nodded, not prying further, but gave him a hard look. "Sort it. Before it eats you alive."
That night, Mason sat on the edge of the bed they used to share, her side still perfectly made. He opened his notes app and tried to write her a message—something real. But every time he started, he'd delete the words.
Instead, he opened the photos on his phone. A picture of Athena laughing at the beach last summer caught him off guard. She looked free. Untouchable. Beautiful.
He missed her like hell.
And Athena missed him too.
One late night, curled up with a textbook she wasn't really reading, her phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
She hesitated before answering. "Hello?"
Silence.
Then his voice—soft, uncertain.
"Athena. It's me."
Her throat tightened. "Mason?"
"I didn't know if you'd pick up."
"I almost didn't."
"I know I messed up," he said quickly. "But I miss you. Every day. And I know sorry doesn't fix everything, but I am sorry. For not being there. For not seeing how much I was losing you until you were already gone."
Athena closed her eyes, her voice barely a whisper. "I miss you too."
There was a pause. Hope lingered in the silence.
"Can we talk?" he asked. "In person?"
She took a shaky breath.
"Yes."