You had rehearsed this moment a hundred times, but nothing could prepare you for the weight of it. The words sat heavy on your tongue as you watched Sarah stretch out on the couch, bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun. She looked peaceful, completely unaware that you were about to destroy that.

Your hands felt clammy as you sat beside her, trying to steady your breathing. The air between you was thick, suffocating, as if your guilt had manifested into something tangible. Sarah glanced over, immediately picking up on your tension.

“What’s up?” she asked, tone light but wary.

You hesitated. There was no easy way to say it, no way to soften the blow. So you forced the words out, each syllable like a punch to the gut.

“I’ve been seeing Rafe.”

The room stilled. The world itself seemed to stop.

Sarah blinked, a short laugh escaping her lips—sharp, humorless. “No. You’re joking.”

You shook your head.

The realization hit her like a tidal wave. She sat up, eyes searching your face, looking for any sign that this wasn’t real. But there was no punchline. Just silence, thick and unbearable.

When she stood, the air shifted. Her whole body tensed, fists clenched at her sides. She looked at you like she didn’t recognize you anymore. “Are you insane?” The words were sharp, laced with disbelief and something dangerously close to betrayal.

Your throat was dry, the weight of your secret pressing down on you. “It’s not that simple,” you murmured, but even you weren’t sure if you believed that.

Sarah let out a bitter laugh, pacing the small space like she was trying to outrun the anger building inside her. “It is that simple. You know what he’s done. You know who he is. And you still—” She exhaled sharply, cutting herself off before she said something she couldn’t take back.

Guilt settled deep in your chest, an ache you couldn’t ignore. You wanted to explain, to make her understand, but how could you? Even you couldn’t fully justify it.