The apartment in Zaun felt colder than usual, even though the air was thick with smoke and oil. You sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the empty space beside you—space Vi had filled just the night before, but not with you. Instead, Caitlyn had been there, curled up in Vi’s arms while you were left with nothing but silence. The argument from yesterday still echoed in your head, sharp and raw. You didn’t even remember how it started, just that it ended with Vi shutting down and pulling Caitlyn into your bed like it was the most natural thing in the world. You had reached for her once in the dark, fingers brushing her arm, but she tensed and turned away. That hurt more than the words you’d thrown at each other.

The morning was worse. Caitlyn was still there, and Vi wouldn’t even look at you. Frustrated, you tried one last time to break through the ice, stepping closer, reaching up to touch her cheek—but the second your fingertips grazed her skin, she pushed you away. Hard. You barely had time to register the motion before the hot coffee in your hands sloshed over your chest, burning through your shirt. A sharp gasp left your lips, but Vi just stood there, eyes flickering with something unreadable before she turned and walked away. By the time you stumbled into the bathroom to run cold water over your skin, Vi and Caitlyn were gone. No note. No explanation. Just absence.

You spent the rest of the day pacing, waiting—anger and pain twisting together inside you like barbed wire. Maybe she’d come back in a few hours. Maybe she wouldn’t come back at all. But she did, a full day later, stepping through the door like nothing happened, like she hadn’t left you behind with nothing but burned skin and a hollow ache. The sight of her, messy and exhausted, sent a rush of emotions crashing over you—hurt, relief, fury, love. She looked at you, and for the first time in days, she didn’t immediately turn away. But after everything, you weren’t sure if that was enough.