Jamie was staring at his phone with intensity. "He read it," he announced from the sofa, his voice flat.

Nico looked up from his desk. He hadn't drawn a single line in twenty minutes. "Adrian?"

"Adrian," Jamie confirmed. "Mr. 'I organize my socks by wool percentage.' I went back for seconds last night. Big mistake." He shuddered. "It was hot, but at the same time, it felt like a medical procedure."

Nico sighed, turning his chair around. "I'm sorry, J. At least you know now."

"I do," Jamie said, throwing his phone onto the cushion beside him. "And then I text him today, only a casual 'Hey' to see if there's a human in there somewhere. Read at 10:42 PM. No response. It's cowardly, honestly. Just say you're not interested. I can take rejection."

Nico flinched internally. He glanced at his own phone, sitting innocently on the edge of the desk. His last message to Ben (Can we talk?) was still there, buried under days of silence.

"I went to the shelter yesterday," Nico said quietly.

Jamie sat up, his own drama momentarily forgotten. "And? Did you see Ben?"

"No," Nico said, looking down at his hands. "He wasn't there. Chloe said he swapped shifts. But I saw Prunya."

"Pru-what?" Jamie asked.

"Prunya. Our favorite cat at the shelter. I mean, my favorite. And Ben's favorite. I sat with her for a while."

Jamie studied him for a moment, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "You should adopt her."

Nico recoiled as if Jamie had suggested he adopt a live grenade. "What? No. I can't."

"Why not?" Jamie pressed. “You love cats, you're obviously thinking about her. It would be good for you."

"My apartment isn't that big," Nico stammered, the excuses tumbling out automatically. "And I'm barely keeping myself alive right now. What if I mess it up? What if she gets sick? What if—"

"What if you commit to something and it actually works out?" Jamie interrupted.

Nico went silent.

"Look," Jamie said, standing up and shaking off the heavy atmosphere. "I get it. It's scary. But think about it." He walked over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. "Anyway, since we're sharing news... I have some of my own. And it’s actually good."

Nico looked up, grateful for the pivot. "Yeah?"

Jamie beamed, erasing the "ghosted" gloom from his face. "I got the job. The non-profit. Future Forward."

Nico’s eyes widened. He jumped up, crossing the room to pull Jamie into a hug. "Jamie! That's amazing! See? I told you Romy would put in a good word, but you did the rest."

"I start on Monday," Jamie said, squeezing back. "Events Coordinator. I am now professionally responsible for vibes. The power I wield is immense."

***

Monday morning arrived and Nico, playing the role of stylist, had to raid his own closet since Jamie’s wardrobe consisted exclusively of items that treated sleeves as a personal insult.

"This is oppression," Jamie announced, pulling on one of Nico’s solid-color t-shirts. He stood in front of the hallway mirror, poking at the fabric covering his deltoids like it was radioactive. The shirt, a relaxed fit on Nico, clung to Jamie’s frame. "My shoulders are my brand, Nico. Covering them up is like putting a tarp over the Mona Lisa. They'll think I'm a nun."

Later that day, Romy sent a photo to the NJRY group chat: Jamie sitting at a sleek white desk, holding a coffee cup, looking hopeful and surprisingly at home in the bright office of Future Forward.

Romy: Look at him. He’s already color-coded his post-its.

Jamie: I am a corporate weapon.

Nico smiled at the screen, happy for his friend. But as the afternoon wore on, the silence in the apartment grew loud again. Jamie was at work. The apartment was empty. And Ben still hadn't replied.

He’s probably just busy, Jamie had said. Don't do the spiral thing.

I’m not spiraling, Nico told himself. I’m... waiting.

He opened the message thread again. He stared at Ben's profile picture, a candid shot of him laughing, holding a very grumpy-looking Persian cat. Nico glanced at the call button.

Just call him. Explain. Apologize properly.

He pressed his thumb down. Then, at the last millisecond, he panicked and swiped the app closed. He couldn't do it. The fear of hearing Ben’s voice, cold and distant, was worse than the silence.

But he couldn't just sit here.

***

That morning Ben was in the catio, introducing a white cat to a potential adopter. The man, Sam, was an old friend from Ben's previous life in the tech world.

"He seems perfect," Sam said, scratching the cat behind the ears. "Exactly what we were looking for." He glanced at his watch. "I wish I could take him now, but Julia, my wife, has a work dinner tonight, and she really wants to meet him first. It's a joint decision."

Ben smiled. "No problem at all. Bring Julia by whenever it’s convenient."

"Thanks, man," Sam said, straightening up. He clapped a hand on Ben's shoulder. "Having an old colleague help is invaluable. Actually, since you left the startup, a lot has changed. We should catch up properly."

"Yeah," Ben said. "I'd like that."

***

Nico's walk to the Sunbeam Cat Shelter felt longer than usual that morning. He paused at the door, peering through the glass panel. Chloe was there, typing away at her computer.

"How is it going, Nico?" Chloe chirped, looking up with a bright smile as he entered. "We have a new litter of kittens that need socialization, if you're up for it."

"Hey, Chloe," Nico said, forcing a smile that felt tight on his face. "Maybe in a bit. Just... wanted to check something in the back first."

"Sure thing," she said, already turning back to her screen. "Ben's in the catio."

Nico nodded, walked down the hallway, and stepped into the catio.

Ben was there, standing near the window, talking to a man Nico had never seen before. Someone handsome in a polished, corporate way, wearing a crisp shirt and an expensive watch.

They were laughing. It was a warm, easy sound that stopped abruptly as the door clicked shut behind Nico.

Ben turned. His smile didn't disappear, but it shifted. It went from open and genuine to something polite and guarded. The temperature in the room seemed to drop.

"Oh," Ben said. "Nico. Hi."

"Hi," Nico managed. He felt suddenly aware of his own messiness: his worn sneakers, his anxious energy, the way he was intruding on a clearly private moment. "I... I didn't know you were busy."

"Catching up," Ben said, his voice level. He gestured to the other man. "Nico, this is Sam. An old friend from the company where I used to work."

Sam stepped forward with a friendly, confident smile, extending a hand. "Nice to meet you. Ben and I were discussing a cat adoption. My wife is going to lose her mind when she sees him."

Wife. The word hung there, dispelling any cheap theory Nico might have formed about a date. There was no rival. There was no replacement. It was worse than that.

Nico shook Sam's hand, mumbling a greeting. He glanced back at Ben. Ben looked... fine. He looked put-together. He was reconnecting with his old life, a life of stability, and he looked relieved.

"We were heading out to grab a coffee," Sam said. “Unless you needed Ben for something?"

Nico looked at Ben. Ben didn't seem angry. He didn't look like he was pining. He was politely waiting for an acquaintance to leave so he could get on with his day.

"No," Nico said, his voice hollow. "No, I don't need anything. I... forgot my water bottle the other day."

"Okay," Ben said. "See you around, Nico."

See you around.

Nico nodded, backing toward the door. "Yeah. Have fun."

He turned and walked out, moving fast. He passed Chloe at the desk without stopping, pushing out onto the street. The heat hit him like a physical weight, but it was the cold knot of shame in his chest that made it hard to breathe. He hadn't lost Ben to another man. He had lost him to the simple, undeniable fact that Ben was doing just fine without him.