The Boyfriend Online

Alex had been dating Sam for eight months when he first noticed the crack. It wasn’t in the ceiling or the foundation of his apartment—it was in Sam’s laugh. That familiar, warm sound that used to fill the room now had a thin, hollow ring to it, like a bell with a hidden flaw.

The words landed like stones in still water. Alex felt the ripples spread through his chest, cold and slow. “That’s not a thought that appears overnight,” he said carefully. “What changed?” The Boyfriend

Sam’s shoulders dropped. “You’re not angry?” Alex had been dating Sam for eight months

He closed the door softly behind him.

“I’m seeing someone new,” Sam blurted, then winced. “Sorry, that’s—I didn’t mean to just—” The words landed like stones in still water

Sam nodded, but his eyes were wet. “I’m sorry.”

He played a new chord, one he’d been learning. It wasn’t perfect, but it was honest.