Chapter 55:

Max

I was still shaken by Lila's sudden exit when I received Alex's message later that night. Seeing his name pop up on my phone was a stark reminder of how tangled everything had turned. 

I hadn't talked to him in weeks—not since I mentioned I was attempting to reach out to Lila. His silence was intentional, and I didn't hold it against him for distancing himself. However, at this moment, he wished to converse.

"Are we able to meet?" the text stated.

I gazed at it for an extended moment. 

He had no obligation to me. To be truthful, if I were in his situation, I wouldn't have reached out to anyone. Nevertheless, Alex was better than me—always had been.

Certainly. "You choose the location," I responded.

We gathered at a little bar on the outskirts of town, one we frequented during our college days. A type of place where no one disturbed you unless you desired it.