Jay looked at his phone.
Miku noticed. "Who is it?"
"No one."
She waited. "That wasn't an answer."
He sighed. "Someone I didn't expect."
"From before?"
"Yes."
"You don't have to explain," Miku said.
"I want to," Jay replied. "I just don't know how."
"Start badly," she suggested. "We can fix it later."
He almost smiled. "She texted me."
Miku's chest tightened—but her voice didn't change. "Your ex?"
"Yes."
"Okay," she said. "And what did you feel?"
"Panicked."
"About her?"
"No," he said. "About us."
Jay rubbed his palms together. "It feels like I'm back where I started."
"You're not," Miku replied.
"How do you know?"
"Because last time," she said, "you wouldn't have told me."
He nodded slowly. "That's true."
"I'm scared," Jay said. "Not of her. Of myself."
"Of what you might do?"
"Of shutting down," he said. "Of saying things I don't mean."
"Like 'leave me alone'?"
"Yes."
"Then don't say it," she replied.
"I might think it."
"That's okay," Miku said. "Just don't use it as a weapon."
Jay looked at her. "What if I need space?"
"Then say 'I need space,'" she said."Not 'I don't care.'"
He exhaled. "You make boundaries sound possible."
"They are," she replied. "Silence just makes them cruel."
He hesitated. "Does this make you uncomfortable?"
"Yes," she admitted.
He stiffened. "Then maybe I should—"
"Don't finish that sentence," she said gently.
"Why?"
"Because you're about to disappear instead of talk."
He stopped.
"I don't want to lose what we're building," Jay said.
"Then don't protect it by destroying it," Miku replied.
He closed his eyes. "That sounds like something I've done before."
"I know," she said softly. "That's why I'm here now."
Jay looked at his phone again. It vibrated.
"Are you going to reply?" Miku asked.
"Not tonight," he said.
"Why?"
"Because I'm choosing the present," he replied. "Not the past."
She nodded. "That matters."
He met her eyes. "If this brings up things I don't know how to handle…"
"Tell me," she said. "Not after. During."
"And if I pull away anyway?"
"Then I won't chase," she replied. "But I won't pretend it doesn't hurt."
Jay nodded slowly. "That feels fair."
"I'm still afraid," he said.
Miku smiled faintly. "So am I."
"Then why stay?"
"Because fear doesn't mean stop," she said."It means go carefully."
Jay reached for her hand.
"Is this okay?" he asked.
"Yes," she replied.
He held on—not tightly.
Just enough.