Tip Nineteen; Initiate sex, but don't push for it. Don't just expect your partner to always initiate it. Don't use sex as a bargaining tool for malicious reasons. (Unless you have that type of relationship with your partner.)

Tuesday rolls around, and I can feel the anxiety building from the moment I open my eyes. There's this heavy weight sitting in my chest, like my body knows today isn't going to go smoothly, even though I've been telling myself for days now that I'll figure it all out. I'd planned to meet Asher for our study session, but the idea of seeing him—talking to him—makes my stomach churn.

I try to focus on the day ahead, shoving down everything else, but it's useless. By mid-morning, I can't shake the restless energy, and the thought of being around Asher feels suffocating. I grab my phone, my fingers hesitating for just a second before I type out the message.

I can't make it today. Sorry.

I send it before I can overthink and immediately throw my phone onto the bed, turning away from it like it's going to explode. I know Asher's going to ask why. I know he'll push for answers. And the thing is—I don't have any good ones. I just can't deal with him right now.

After pacing around my room for a bit, I make a decision. If I stay here, trapped in this house, waiting for Leon or one of his friends to show up, I'll go insane. So, I pack up my things, grab my laptop, and head to the town library. It's quieter than campus, a little further away, and it feels like the one place where I might be able to clear my head without running into anyone I know. No distractions, no Asher. Just peace.

• • •

The library is practically empty when I arrive, which is exactly what I need. The silence wraps around me like a comforting blanket, and I find a secluded table in the corner, tucking myself away from the rest of the world. I open my laptop, staring at the screen, but my mind keeps drifting, my focus scattered. No matter how hard I try to concentrate on studying, my thoughts keep circling back to Asher.

I think about the other day, how everything seemed to spiral out of control so quickly. About the way he'd talked about Harlowe, the casual mention of maybe getting back together with her, and the sick feeling it left in my stomach. That I'm just the placeholder until something better—something easier—comes along.

I'm so lost in my thoughts that I don't notice someone approaching until I hear his voice.

"Ivy."

My heart skips a beat. No. Not here.

I look up, and of course, there he is. Asher.

He's standing in front of me, his expression a mix of frustration and confusion. "You didn't show up."

I swallow, trying to keep my voice steady. "I texted you."

"You didn't say why," he says, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You've been avoiding me for days, Ivy. I'm not stupid."

I close my laptop, my pulse quickening. "I just needed some space. I—"

"Space from what?" he cuts me off, his voice low. "From me?"

The way he says it—like he's daring me to admit it—makes my chest tighten. I can feel the tension between us building, the unspoken things that have been weighing on me for days now pressing down harder and harder.

I stand up, pushing my chair back with a soft scrape. "Can we not do this here?"

Without waiting for a response, I walk away from the table, weaving through the rows of bookshelves. I don't know where I'm going—just away. Away from him, away from the confrontation I know is coming. But Asher doesn't let me go. I hear his footsteps behind me, following closely as I head deeper into the stacks.

"Ivy," he calls after me, his voice quieter now, but still firm. "What's going on?"

I stop near the back of the library, hidden between tall shelves of dusty books, and turn to face him. My heart is racing, and I know I can't keep running from this. From him.

"I don't think we should keep doing this," I blurt out before I can stop myself.

Asher blinks, his expression shifting from frustration to shock. "What?"

"This... whatever we're doing." My voice shakes, but I push through it. "I think we should stop. Call it off."

He stares at me, his brow furrowing as he processes what I'm saying. "You want to stop?"

I nod, even though every part of me is screaming that I don't. "Yes."

His eyes search mine, like he's trying to find something in my expression that will tell him I'm lying. "Really, Ivy? You want to call it off?"

"Yes," I repeat, my voice firmer this time. "I think it's for the best."

Asher steps back, his jaw tightening as he takes in my words. He looks... deflated. Like I've punched the air out of him. But then he straightens, putting on a brave face, even though I can see the hurt in his eyes.

"Fine," he says, his voice clipped. "We'll call it off."

I blink, startled by how quickly he agrees. I didn't expect it to feel like this—to feel so final. And for a second, I almost want to take it back. Almost.

"I... I think we need space," I say softly, my gaze dropping to the floor. "From each other. Just... time to figure things out."

He's quiet for a long moment, and when I finally look up, his expression is unreadable. "Space," he echoes, his voice flat. "Right. I can give you space."

I bite my lip, not knowing what to say. The silence between us feels heavy, like there are a million things left unsaid, but neither of us can find the words.

"Okay," he says after a beat, his tone distant. "If that's what you want."

It's not. But I can't tell him that. I won't.

I nod instead, wrapping my arms around myself like I'm trying to hold myself together. "It is."

Asher nods too, though there's something in the way his eyes darken that makes my chest ache. "Right. Well... I'll leave you alone, then."

And with that, he turns and walks away, leaving me standing there between the stacks, my heart breaking all over again.

I stand there for a long time after he's gone, staring at the spot where he disappeared, wondering if I just made the biggest mistake of my life.