Chapter 3 Echoes of Yesterday

Hazel sat on the edge of her bed, legs crossed, staring into the empty space of her small apartment. The soft glow of morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a warm hue across the room. Her apartment was usually a sanctuary, filled with lush, green plants that climbed toward the ceiling and brought a sense of peace to the otherwise bustling city outside her windows. But today, even her plants felt distant, like nothing could anchor her back to normal.

Then, her phone lit up on the nightstand, the sudden glow snapping her out of her haze.

For a moment, she just stared at it, her heart tightening in her chest. She didn't want to check it. She was certain it was him. Maybe he had finally realized what a mistake he'd made. Maybe he was typing out an apology, telling her he wanted to talk, to try again. The thought of seeing his name on the screen made her stomach twist.

But Hazel was tired-too tired to deal with his excuses. Too tired to open herself up to more hurt. She had put her phone on silent for a reason.

The phone lit up again, the notifications piling on. She frowned and, reluctantly, reached for it.

Her thumb hovered over the screen before she finally flipped it over and unlocked it, bracing herself for whatever he had to say.

A sigh of relief escaped her when she saw it wasn't him. Instead, her screen was flooded with messages from Nathan, her best friend since college.

She opened the chat, finding an avalanche of ridiculous GIFs and videos he'd sent. There was something about a dancing dog, another of someone falling off a skateboard, and of course, a meme about weed being the only thing holding his life together.

Typical Nate.

A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Even now, when the world felt like it was crashing down around her, Nathan had the ability to pull her back, if only for a moment. He had always been that way-able to make her laugh with the smallest effort, to remind her that there was still light in the darkest of times.

Hazel played one of the videos, her laughter coming easier than she'd expected. This time, it was a compilation of classic things Black moms say to their kids: "Fix your face before I fix it for you," followed by, "If you keep running in and out of this house, you're staying outside!" and then, "You got McDonald's money?" The exaggerated reenactments were so spot-on, Hazel couldn't help but chuckle. She had heard those same lines her whole life, and Nathan knew exactly what would get her to laugh.

As the video looped, Hazel felt the weight on her chest lift, just slightly. She scrolled through Nathan's messages, letting the absurdity of it all push the pain of last night to the back of her mind.

But as the laughter faded, reality crept back in. Her phone sat heavy in her hand, the messages still open. Nathan didn't know what had happened. He didn't know about the breakup, about the mess her life had become overnight.

She hesitated, her thumb hovering over the keyboard.

Should I tell him?

She stared at the blinking cursor, her fingers still frozen above the screen.

Not yet.

Exiting the message field, Hazel tossed her phone back onto the bed and let herself fall into the soft pillows behind her. She wasn't ready to let Nathan in on what had happened. Not today.

Moments later, her phone buzzed again. It was Nathan calling. Hazel sighed and picked it up, holding it to her ear.

"You're taking too long to reply, Haze," Nathan teased. "You know I can tell you read the messages, right? And that last meme... c'mon, you know that's your mom to a T."

Hazel didn't respond, biting her lip as she stared at the ceiling. Nathan waited a second before noticing the unusual silence.

"Haze? What's going on? You're too quiet."

Hazel exhaled deeply, her voice heavy with everything she had been holding in. "Michael left me," she said, her voice shaking slightly.

There was a pause on the line. "What?" Nathan asked, his voice suddenly serious.

"He left me, Nate," Hazel repeated, her words feeling heavier now that she'd said them out loud. "He's been seeing someone else. For months."

Nathan's voice turned sharp. "Wait... who? Who's he been seeing?"

"Stacy," Hazel replied, her voice laced with bitterness.

"Stacy? Who the hell is Stacy?"

Hazel sighed and pressed her fingers to her temple. "You know Stacy... She works with me. I've mentioned her before."

Nathan went silent for a beat before it hit him. "Wait... the girl from work? The one you barely talked to?"

"Yeah. The one I befriended because you told me I needed more girlfriends," Hazel said with a bitter laugh.

Nathan groaned. "Okay, now you're blaming this on me?"

Hazel shrugged even though he couldn't see it. "Kinda? If you hadn't told me to befriend more women, I wouldn't have let Stacy into my life."

Nathan's tone softened, though his frustration was still evident. "Haze, that's not on you. This isn't on me either. It's on him. He didn't deserve you, and he damn sure doesn't deserve to be part of your life after this."

"I know," Hazel replied quietly, "but it feels like everything's on me right now."

"Look, Haze, listen to me." Nathan's voice was firm but caring. "You are the prize here. You don't need someone like Michael to define your worth. You gave him everything, and he still didn't appreciate it. That's on him."

Hazel closed her eyes, letting his words sink in. "I don't feel like much of a prize right now, Nate."

"I get that," Nathan said quietly. "But you are. And you're going to get through this. You've got me, Haze. You've got people who love you. You're better than this whole mess. Trust me."

She smiled weakly, blinking away the last of her tears. "Thanks, Nate."

"You want me to come over?"

Hazel paused, considering. "Maybe... not yet though. I need a little time."

"Alright," Nathan replied. "But I'm here. Whenever you need me, okay?"

"Okay," she whispered. As she hung up, Hazel lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Nathan was right-she wasn't alone. She had people who cared, people who saw her for who she really was. And maybe, just maybe, she was starting to believe that she didn't need Michael after all.

Still, as the silence settled around her, the heaviness crept back. The emotional toll of the last 24 hours weighed on her, and even though Nathan's words helped, she couldn't shake the sadness that hung over her like a cloud.

For the next hour, Hazel moved slowly around the apartment, drifting from room to room, unable to focus. Her mind kept circling back to all the moments she'd shared with Michael, dissecting every memory. Was there something she had missed? Had the signs been there all along, and she just didn't see them? The questions spun endlessly in her head, leaving her feeling exhausted and stuck in a loop she couldn't break out of.

No matter how much she thought about it, no answers came. Only the ache of betrayal, confusion, and disappointment weighed her down.

Eventually, Hazel grew restless, tired of moping in the quiet stillness of her apartment. She needed to get out, breathe some fresh air, and clear her mind. Grabbing her keys, she decided to go for a walk, hoping it might help shake off the heavy cloud that lingered over her.