The doorbell rang just as Olivia was finishing her second cup of coffee, her nerves still frayed from the night before. She jumped a little at the sound, heart thumping in her chest, before reminding herself it was only Chloe. Her best friend had promised to come over first thing in the morning, and Chloe was the one person who always managed to anchor her when the world felt tilted.
She padded barefoot across the small apartment and pulled open the door. Chloe stood there in a crisp white blouse tucked into faded jeans, sunglasses perched on her head despite the early hour. She carried her usual aura of brisk cheerfulness, like she'd already conquered three impossible tasks before breakfast.
"Morning, sunshine," Chloe chirped, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. "Or should I say… storm cloud?"
Olivia rolled her eyes, closing the door. "Ha ha. Very funny."
Chloe flopped onto the couch, glancing around at the tidy living room before her gaze fell on Ethan's playmat scattered with toys. "Where's my favorite little man?"
"Down for his morning nap," Olivia answered, sinking onto the opposite chair. "You missed him by ten minutes."
"Of course I did," Chloe sighed dramatically. "He probably planned it that way. Already avoiding his auntie. This kid is too smart for his age."
Olivia couldn't help but laugh, a little of the tension easing from her shoulders. Banter with Chloe was like breathing—effortless, familiar, and always exactly what she needed when her thoughts threatened to spiral.
But this morning, Chloe's smile carried a hidden weight. As she settled deeper into the couch, she thought about the woman she'd bumped into on the street—Vanessa. Old friend, familiar face, but carrying news that had rattled her to her core. Daniel Brooks. Olivia's Daniel. Vanessa had casually dropped that she was dating him and that he still hadn't fully let go of his ex—the same ex sitting right across from her, looking exhausted and vulnerable.
Chloe forced the memory down. Not now. Not when Olivia needed comfort, not fresh wounds.
"So," Chloe said, leaning forward, elbows on her knees. "You going to tell me why you sounded like a horror movie victim on the phone last night?"
Olivia groaned, covering her face with her hands. "Because it feels like a horror movie. He's here, Chloe. Daniel. Of all the people in New York, of all the apartments, of all the buildings—he's here."
Chloe tilted her head, keeping her tone light though her mind churned. "And by 'here,' you mean—"
"In my building," Olivia said, dropping her hands. Her eyes were wide, anxious. "Mrs. Greene was showing him the apartment across the hall. He looked at me like… like time hadn't passed. Like nothing had changed."
"Yikes," Chloe muttered. "That's… not exactly neighborly."
Olivia's lips twisted. "It's a nightmare. I don't know what to do. What if he actually rents the place? What if Ethan grows up bumping into him in the hallway?"
"Relax," Chloe soothed, though her own stomach flipped at Vanessa's words echoing in her mind: he hasn't gotten over his ex. If that was true, and Daniel really did move in, things could get messy—fast.
But she wasn't going to let Olivia see that worry. Not yet.
"You know what you need?" Chloe asked, straightening.
Olivia arched a brow. "A time machine?"
"Close," Chloe said with a grin. "Lunch. A good meal somewhere that doesn't involve reheated pasta or peanut butter sandwiches. My treat. I'm dragging you out."
"I can't," Olivia protested weakly. "Ethan—"
"Will come with us," Chloe interrupted. "He needs fresh air too. And don't even try arguing, Parker. You know I always win."
Olivia gave a small laugh, though her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "You're bossy, you know that?"
"Bossy? Please. I'm assertive. Confident. Commanding."
"Annoying," Olivia added dryly.
"Charming," Chloe corrected with a wink. "You'd be lost without me."
"Debatable."
"Untrue and you know it."
Their banter bounced back and forth, filling the tiny apartment with a warmth Olivia hadn't felt since yesterday's shock. For a few moments, she could almost forget Daniel's face, almost forget the sting of the past resurfacing in the present.
Almost.
Chloe, meanwhile, kept her smile plastered in place, even as Vanessa's revelation gnawed at the edges of her thoughts. The contradiction sat heavy: Olivia's heart had been broken by Daniel years ago, and yet Vanessa claimed Olivia was the one who had left him scarred. Who was telling the truth? Who had really walked away carrying the deeper wound?
Chloe glanced at her best friend, who was now fiddling with Ethan's baby monitor on the coffee table. Olivia's hands trembled just slightly, her shoulders tight, her jaw clenched as if bracing for another blow life might throw at her.
No, Chloe decided firmly. She wouldn't burden Olivia with Vanessa's words. Not now. Not when she was already unraveling.
Instead, she clapped her hands together and stood. "Come on. Get dressed. Wear something cute. I'm thinking that little Italian place two blocks over. Ethan can charm the waitresses, you can drown your sorrows in garlic bread, and I'll order enough wine to survive whatever story you're about to unload on me."
Olivia looked up at her, torn between gratitude and panic. "I don't know if I can face people right now, Chloe."
"You don't have to face people. Just me," Chloe said gently. Then, with a mischievous grin, she added, "And carbs. Carbs are your real best friend. I'm just the sidekick."
Olivia laughed again, softer this time, and some of the tension seemed to melt from her shoulders. "Fine. But only because you bribed me with garlic bread."
"Victory," Chloe said, pumping her fist like she'd just won a battle.
As Olivia disappeared into the bedroom to change, Chloe leaned back against the couch and let her smile fade for the briefest second.
What if Vanessa's right? What if Daniel never let her go?
The thought gnawed at her, but she shoved it down with practiced ease. For now, Olivia didn't need that weight. For now, Olivia needed banter, garlic bread, and a reminder that she wasn't alone.
And Chloe would give her that, even if it meant keeping secrets of her own.