The phone buzzed in Jason’s hand, the name on the screen one he’d stopped hoping to see. It had taken months to let go, months to stop checking, months to accept that Ben wasn’t coming back. And yet, here he was, calling as if he’d never left, as if he hadn’t vanished without a word or an explanation. Against his better judgment, he picked up, the cool evening air seeping into his bones as he answered. “Hey, Jay,” came Ben's voice, that familiar warmth tangled with the casual confidence that used to make him weak. He could hear the faint sounds of a party in the background, laughter, clinking glasses—a typical night for Ben. “My car’s giving me trouble… I thought maybe you could help me out.” Jason bit back a bitter laugh. Of course. After all this time, he needed him to fix a problem. “Ben, seriously?” he replied, his voice steadier and stronger than he felt. “You ghosted me for months, and now you’re calling because you need something fixed? Where do you get the nerve?” The line went silent for a beat as if Jason's words had actually hit him. But he knew better. Ben never liked dealing with consequences. He was the type to slip away, only to come back when things got messy. “I miss you, you know?” Ben said, and Jason could hear the faint slur in his words, the way he softened his tone, just like he used to. But he knew it was an old trick—one he’d fallen for too many times. “I miss what we had.” “Really?” Jason's voice cracked with sarcasm. “Because you sure didn’t seem to miss it when you were moving on faster than I could blink.” he remembered the ache of seeing him laugh with someone else, his heart breaking as he tried to tell himself he’d be fine. he had spent nights waiting for Ben's name to pop up on his screen, telling himself there was some mistake, that Ben would explain it all. But he never had. And now, finally, he was here. It was too late. “You broke me, Ben. You broke me first,” he whispered, as much to himself as to Ben. “And I’m done being the one you turn to when things go wrong. I don’t care how bad it hurts. I’m not here to fix your messes anymore.” Ben tried to reply, but Jason had already hung up. The emptiness that followed felt surprisingly freeing, a release he hadn’t anticipated. he’d spent so long staring at a blank screen, hoping Ben would come back, but now he was done waiting. With one last glance at the missed call, Jason turned off her phone, feeling lighter with every step as she walked back into the night, his heart finally whole, no longer needing the one who’d broken it.
based on the song "You Broke Me First" by Tate McRae.
