Chapter 14: Life Without Nicole
It wasn't easy.
There were still moments when Erica thought about texting her. Still nights where she dreamed about what could have been—of Nicole's laugh echoing through the halls, of their hands brushing under the desk, of all the little things that once made her heart feel full. She'd wake up sometimes with tears on her cheeks, clutching her pillow like it could bring her back.
Her fingers hovered over her phone more times than she could count. Just a simple "hi," she thought. Just to check in. Just to see if she still cared. But every time, she backed out. She knew better. Some wounds needed space to scar over.
But with time, the ache dulled.
The mornings stopped feeling so heavy. She stopped checking if Nicole liked her posts, stopped wondering what she was doing every second. Instead, Erica started focusing on herself—her future, her happiness.
She joined a photography club. Spent late afternoons capturing light and shadows in empty classrooms, finding beauty in forgotten corners of the school. She started laughing again—awkward, hesitant at first, but it was real.
There were days when she'd catch herself smiling at a memory and not feel pain. Just warmth. That was new. That was progress.
And slowly, she realized something.
She could love Nicole and still let her go.
She could carry the memories without letting them break her.
She didn't have to erase the past to move forward. Loving Nicole didn't make her weak—it made her human. And letting go didn't mean she lost. It meant she chose herself.
It wasn't about forgetting.
It was about accepting.
And maybe, one day, she would see Nicole again—maybe even smile at her, genuinely. But for now, Erica was learning how to stand on her own, with a heart that had been broken, but not destroyed.
And that was enough.