The knock came when she wasn't expecting it.
Tiana paused, glass of water halfway to her lips.
Another knock.
Softer this time.
Like hesitation.
"Tiana… it's me."
Jones.
For a second, she just stood there.
Not frozen.
Not overwhelmed.
Just… still.
Then she placed the glass down and walked to the door.
When she opened it, he looked different.
Or maybe…
She was the one seeing clearly now.
"Hi," he said.
"Hi."
No tension in her voice.
No warmth either.
"Can I come in?"
A small pause.
Then she stepped aside.
He walked in slowly, glancing around like something had changed.
Nothing had.
But everything had.
They stood facing each other.
"I didn't like how things ended," he said.
Tiana leaned lightly against the wall.
"How did they end?"
"Cold," he replied. "Distant."
She held his gaze.
"They ended honestly."
He frowned slightly.
"That message wasn't fair."
"It was accurate."
Silence.
Jones exhaled.
"I just need time, Tiana."
She didn't react immediately.
"How much?" she asked.
He blinked. "What?"
"How much time?"
He hesitated.
And that hesitation said everything.
"I don't know," he admitted.
She nodded once.
Like she expected that answer.
"I thought you understood," he added.
"I did."
Another pause.
"For a while."
Jones shifted uncomfortably.
"I wasn't trying to hurt you."
"I know."
And she did.
That wasn't the issue.
"You're acting like I didn't care," he said.
Tiana shook her head slightly.
"I'm not."
She pushed herself off the wall and stood properly.
Closer now.
But not softer.
"You cared," she said.
"And you stayed unsure."
He opened his mouth.
Closed it again.
Because there wasn't a way around that.
"I was going to figure it out," he said.
She tilted her head slightly.
"When?"
He didn't answer.
Tiana let out a small breath.
Not frustrated.
Just… done waiting for answers that never came.
"I needed something clear," she said.
Her voice was calm.
Steady.
"I didn't get that."
Jones ran his hand through his hair again.
"I'm here now."
She looked at him for a moment.
Really looked.
"That doesn't change anything," she said.
The words weren't harsh.
But they landed heavily.
"Why not?" he asked.
"Because you're still saying the same thing."
Time.
Uncertainty.
"Not yet."
She stepped back slightly, creating space again.
Not dramatic.
Just deliberate.
"I don't have anything else to add," she said.
That was new.
No long explanations.
No emotional unraveling.
No trying to make him understand.
Just… a boundary.
Jones stared at her.
Confused.
Maybe even a little unsettled.
"That's it?" he asked.
Tiana picked up her glass of water and took a small sip.
Calm.
Unrushed.
"That's it."
Silence filled the room again.
But this time…
It didn't feel heavy on her side.
Jones nodded slowly.
Like he was trying to process a version of her he hadn't seen before.
"Okay," he said quietly.
He walked toward the door.
Paused.
Like he might say something else.
But he didn't.
Because there was nothing left to say that would change anything.
When the door closed behind him—
Tiana didn't move immediately.
She stood there.
Listening.
To the quiet.
Then she walked back inside.
Sat down.
Picked up her phone.
No messages.
For the first time…
That didn't feel like something was missing.
It felt like something had stopped.
And in that stillness—
She finally exhaled.