Ghosts of the Past

The night air remained cool as Ethan and Gabriel walked side by side, their conversation fading into an easy silence. The streets around them were quiet, illuminated by the occasional streetlight casting soft glows along the empty sidewalks. Despite the stillness, there was no discomfort in their lack of words. It felt as though everything important had already been said.

After a while, Gabriel glanced at Ethan, a soft smile playing on his lips. "I should probably get going," he said, stretching his arms above his head as though shaking off the last remnants of the evening. "It's getting late."

Ethan nodded, feeling the familiar fatigue settle in. The events of the night had taken a toll on him, both physically and mentally, but there was a lightness in his chest that hadn't been there before. It wasn't the heaviness he was used to carrying, but rather a quieter sense of calm that made the walk back seem easier than expected.

Gabriel stood up from the bench where they'd paused, dusting off his jeans before glancing over at Ethan.

"You gonna be alright getting home?"

"I'll be fine," Ethan replied. "Thanks for tonight. Really."

Gabriel gave him a warm smile, his eyes crinkling slightly.

"Anytime. You know where to find me if you need another break from the world."

Ethan returned the smile, a small gesture that felt genuine, even though he wasn't used to it.

"Yeah. I'll keep that in mind."

They walked together for a few more paces until they reached the corner where they would part ways. Gabriel stopped, turning toward Ethan with a playful glint in his eye.

"No awkward goodbyes, okay? Let's just go with 'see you later.' Feels less final."

Ethan let out a quiet chuckle, appreciating Gabriel's approach.

"See you later, then."

"Much better," Gabriel said, looking satisfied. He hesitated briefly before reaching out and giving Ethan a friendly squeeze on the arm. "Take care of yourself."

"You too," Ethan replied, watching as Gabriel waved and started down the street, his steps light and unhurried. Ethan stood there for a moment, watching Gabriel's silhouette fade into the distance, before turning and heading in the opposite direction toward home.

---

The city was quiet as Ethan made his way back, the streets bathed in the soft glow of streetlights. His footsteps echoed lightly in the stillness, the sounds of the night a gentle backdrop to his thoughts. The evening had been overwhelming in some ways, but as he walked, Ethan found himself reflecting on the connection he had made with Gabriel.

Reaching his building, he climbed the stairs to his apartment. The familiar stillness greeted him, but instead of the oppressive quiet he had grown accustomed to, tonight it felt different. It wasn't suffocating.

Ethan moved through the motions of settling in. He took off his jacket, poured himself a glass of water, and sat by the window, watching the street below. The city, still alive with its distant sounds, felt far away but not in a way that isolated him. He felt grounded in a way that surprised him.

Gabriel had been a light in the middle of a dark moment. It was rare for Ethan to find that kind of presence—someone who could pull him out of the spiral without making him feel small or broken. The kindness, the understanding in Gabriel's actions, had left a mark, one that Ethan wasn't sure how to process just yet.

Sitting in the quiet of his apartment, Ethan allowed himself to relax for the first time that night. It wasn't about finding answers or figuring out what came next. For now, it was enough to know that the day had ended better than it had started.

---

Ethan was jolted awake by the shrill sound of his phone vibrating on the nightstand. The light from the screen cut through the darkness of his room, illuminating the space with a dim glow. Still groggy, he reached out blindly, fumbling for the device. Without bothering to check the caller ID, he swiped to answer and pressed the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" His voice was thick with sleep, the remnants of his dreams still clinging to his mind.

For a moment, there was nothing but silence on the other end of the line. Ethan's brow furrowed in confusion as he pulled the phone slightly away from his ear to check if the call had dropped. Just as he was about to hang up, a voice broke through the quiet.

"Well, it's good to know you're not dead yet."

Ethan froze.

The sleepiness vanished instantly, replaced by a jolt of recognition that sent his heart racing. The voice was familiar, too familiar—a ghost from a part of his life he had tried to forget. His grip tightened around the phone, his breath catching in his throat as the name formed on his lips.

"Sarah," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

The laugh on the other end was bitter, tinged with something he couldn't quite place.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Ethan sat up in bed. His mind scrambled to catch up, trying to make sense of why she was calling after all this time. Sarah. His ex. The one who had left when things had fallen apart, when he had needed her the most.

"What do you want?" Ethan asked, his voice steadier now, though his pulse was still racing.

There was a pause on the other end, and Ethan could hear her take a slow breath before she spoke again.

"I'm coming by to pick up the rest of my stuff."

Ethan's heart dropped. Her words were a punch to the gut, dredging up memories he had buried as deep as he could. He hadn't seen her in what felt like a lifetime, but the wounds she'd left behind still felt fresh.

"I… I thought you already took everything," he said, struggling to keep his voice calm.

"Not everything," Sarah replied coolly. "There are a few things I didn't get last time. I'll be there in an hour."

Ethan's mind raced. He didn't know how to respond, didn't know what to say to the woman who had walked out of his life when everything had crumbled around him. The last time they had spoken, she had left him in pieces, and he had been too shattered to put up a fight.

"Sarah," Ethan started, but the line went dead before he could say anything more.

He stared at the phone in his hand, his thoughts a whirlwind of confusion, anger, and something else—something darker that twisted in his chest. She was coming back. After all this time, she was just going to show up as if nothing had happened.

Ethan threw the covers off and swung his legs over the side of the bed, his mind still reeling. He had no idea what Sarah wanted or why she had chosen now to come back. All he knew was that the calm he had started to feel after the night with Gabriel had shattered, replaced by the cold reality of his past crashing into his present.

He needed to get ready. She would be here soon.