p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a soft glow through the curtains of Tim's living room. The apartment was quiet, save for the gentle sound of breathing from the couch where Tim and Lucy lay asleep. The night before had been long, filled with conversations that ranged from painful to comforting. They hadn't planned to fall asleep on the couch, but exhaustion and emotional overload had taken their toll./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Tim's arm was draped protectively around Lucy's shoulders, her head resting on his chest. It was a picture of comfort and trust, a moment of peace after the storm. For the first time in days, Lucy had managed to sleep without the weight of the world pressing down on her, and Tim had been relieved to see her finally get some rest./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"But that peace was about to be shattered./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"The sound of a key turning in the lock echoed through the apartment, but neither Tim nor Lucy stirred. The door opened, and Ashley stepped inside, her expression tired and conflicted. She had spent the night thinking about their argument, about the tension that had been growing between them. She had come over to talk things through, to see if they could find a way forward./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"What she saw when she walked into the living room stopped her in her tracks./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"There, on the couch, was Tim—her boyfriend—and Lucy, wrapped in each other's arms, sound asleep. It was an image that hit Ashley like a punch to the gut. Her mind raced, jumping to conclusions, and the emotions she had been struggling with for weeks finally boiled over./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;""What the hell is going on here?" Ashley's voice was sharp, cutting through the silence like a knife./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Tim and Lucy jolted awake, disoriented and startled by the sudden intrusion. Tim blinked, trying to process what was happening, but as soon as he saw the look on Ashley's face, he knew this was bad—really bad./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;""Ashley, wait—" Tim started, but she didn't let him finish./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;""No, don't 'Ashley, wait' me!" she snapped, her voice trembling with a mixture of anger and hurt. "I knew it. I knew there was something going on between you two!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Lucy sat up quickly, pulling away from Tim, her heart pounding. She felt a wave of nausea wash over her, and the stress of the situation wasn't helping. "Ashley, it's not what it looks like. I…I was upset last night, and Tim was just trying to help."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;""Oh, I can see that," Ashley shot back, her eyes narrowing as she glared at both of them. "You were so upset that you just had to sleep here, with him? And what, I'm supposed to believe that nothing happened?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Tim stood up, trying to calm the situation, but he could see the betrayal in Ashley's eyes. "Ashley, listen to me. Lucy's been through a lot. She's—"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Before he could finish, Lucy suddenly felt the nausea intensify. Without a word, she jumped up and rushed to the kitchen, barely making it to the sink before she began vomiting. The sound of her retching filled the apartment, and Tim's heart sank. He knew this was the last thing Ashley needed to see./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Ashley's eyes widened in shock as she took in the scene. "What…what's going on?" she demanded, her voice wavering between anger and confusion./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Tim hurried after Lucy, reaching the kitchen just as she was leaning over the sink, her body trembling from the effort. He rubbed her back gently, trying to comfort her as best he could. "Ashley, it's not what you think. Lucy's pregnant and I…"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Ashley froze, her mind reeling from the sudden revelation. "Pregnant?" Her voice was a whisper, barely audible over the sound of Lucy's retching. "And you're telling me this now?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Tim looked over at her, his expression pleading. "It's not mine, Ashley. Lucy's been going through a lot. Chris…he dumped her when she told him. She came to me because she didn't have anyone else to turn to."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"But Ashley wasn't listening. Her mind had already jumped to the worst possible conclusion, and the pain and anger she had been suppressing for so long finally broke free. "So that's it, huh? You're really going to stand there and lie to me? You expect me to believe that you two are just friends and that this baby isn't yours?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Tim's frustration boiled over. "Ashley, it's the truth! I'm not lying to you. Lucy needed someone to talk to, and I was there for her. That's it."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Ashley shook her head, her voice rising as she fought back tears. "I can't believe this. I can't believe you'd do this to me. You know how I've felt about you and Lucy, and now this? I can't—I can't deal with this, Tim."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Lucy, still pale and trembling, managed to turn around, her voice weak but determined. "Ashley, please…I'm so sorry. I never wanted to come between you two. Tim was just being a good friend."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"But Ashley's mind was made up. The image of them asleep together, the revelation of Lucy's pregnancy, and the stress of her relationship with Tim had pushed her past the breaking point. "I'm done, Tim. I'm done with all of this. I deserve better than this."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Tim took a step toward her, his heart sinking as he realized how deeply this had hurt her. "Ashley, please—"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;""No," Ashley cut him off, her voice firm despite the tears in her eyes. "I can't do this anymore, Tim. I can't be with someone I can't trust."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"And with that, she turned and walked out the door, leaving Tim and Lucy standing in stunned silence. The sound of the door closing behind her felt like the end of something important, something that had been slipping away for a long time./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"For a moment, the apartment was quiet. Tim stared at the door, his mind racing with everything that had just happened. He knew Ashley was hurt, but he hadn't expected it to end like this. He hadn't expected her to leave./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Lucy sank back onto the couch, her hands shaking. "Tim…I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Tim turned to her, shaking his head. "No, Lucy. It's not your fault. This was a long time coming. Ashley and I…we've been struggling for a while. This was just the breaking point."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;""But if I hadn't been here…" Lucy's voice was filled with regret./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Tim walked over to her, sitting down beside her. "If it wasn't this, it would have been something else. We weren't right for each other, and deep down, we both knew it."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Lucy looked at him, searching his face for any sign of anger or blame, but all she saw was a mixture of sadness and acceptance. "I hate that this happened, Tim. You didn't deserve that."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Tim sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Neither did you. But we can't change what happened. All we can do is move forward."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Lucy nodded, though the weight of the situation still hung heavily on her. "Thank you for being there for me, Tim. I don't know what I would have done without you."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Tim gave her a small, reassuring smile. "You're my partner, Lucy. I'm always going to be there for you."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"They sat in silence for a few moments, both of them processing the events of the morning. The peace they had found the night before was gone, replaced by a new reality that neither of them had anticipated./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Tim's arm was draped protectively around Lucy's shoulders, her head resting on his chest. It was a picture of comfort and trust, a moment of peace after the storm. For the first time in days, Lucy had managed to sleep without the weight of the world pressing down on her, and Tim had been relieved to see her finally get some rest./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"But that peace was about to be shattered./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"The sound of a key turning in the lock echoed through the apartment, but neither Tim nor Lucy stirred. The door opened, and Ashley stepped inside, her expression tired and conflicted. She had spent the night thinking about their argument, about the tension that had been growing between them. She had come over to talk things through, to see if they could find a way forward./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"What she saw when she walked into the living room stopped her in her tracks./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"There, on the couch, was Tim—her boyfriend—and Lucy, wrapped in each other's arms, sound asleep. It was an image that hit Ashley like a punch to the gut. Her mind raced, jumping to conclusions, and the emotions she had been struggling with for weeks finally boiled over./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;""What the hell is going on here?" Ashley's voice was sharp, cutting through the silence like a knife./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Tim and Lucy jolted awake, disoriented and startled by the sudden intrusion. Tim blinked, trying to process what was happening, but as soon as he saw the look on Ashley's face, he knew this was bad—really bad./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;""Ashley, wait—" Tim started, but she didn't let him finish./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;""No, don't 'Ashley, wait' me!" she snapped, her voice trembling with a mixture of anger and hurt. "I knew it. I knew there was something going on between you two!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Lucy sat up quickly, pulling away from Tim, her heart pounding. She felt a wave of nausea wash over her, and the stress of the situation wasn't helping. "Ashley, it's not what it looks like. I…I was upset last night, and Tim was just trying to help."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;""Oh, I can see that," Ashley shot back, her eyes narrowing as she glared at both of them. "You were so upset that you just had to sleep here, with him? And what, I'm supposed to believe that nothing happened?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Tim stood up, trying to calm the situation, but he could see the betrayal in Ashley's eyes. "Ashley, listen to me. Lucy's been through a lot. She's—"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Before he could finish, Lucy suddenly felt the nausea intensify. Without a word, she jumped up and rushed to the kitchen, barely making it to the sink before she began vomiting. The sound of her retching filled the apartment, and Tim's heart sank. He knew this was the last thing Ashley needed to see./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Ashley's eyes widened in shock as she took in the scene. "What…what's going on?" she demanded, her voice wavering between anger and confusion./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Tim hurried after Lucy, reaching the kitchen just as she was leaning over the sink, her body trembling from the effort. He rubbed her back gently, trying to comfort her as best he could. "Ashley, it's not what you think. Lucy's pregnant and I…"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Ashley froze, her mind reeling from the sudden revelation. "Pregnant?" Her voice was a whisper, barely audible over the sound of Lucy's retching. "And you're telling me this now?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Tim looked over at her, his expression pleading. "It's not mine, Ashley. Lucy's been going through a lot. Chris…he dumped her when she told him. She came to me because she didn't have anyone else to turn to."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"But Ashley wasn't listening. Her mind had already jumped to the worst possible conclusion, and the pain and anger she had been suppressing for so long finally broke free. "So that's it, huh? You're really going to stand there and lie to me? You expect me to believe that you two are just friends and that this baby isn't yours?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Tim's frustration boiled over. "Ashley, it's the truth! I'm not lying to you. Lucy needed someone to talk to, and I was there for her. That's it."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Ashley shook her head, her voice rising as she fought back tears. "I can't believe this. I can't believe you'd do this to me. You know how I've felt about you and Lucy, and now this? I can't—I can't deal with this, Tim."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Lucy, still pale and trembling, managed to turn around, her voice weak but determined. "Ashley, please…I'm so sorry. I never wanted to come between you two. Tim was just being a good friend."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"But Ashley's mind was made up. The image of them asleep together, the revelation of Lucy's pregnancy, and the stress of her relationship with Tim had pushed her past the breaking point. "I'm done, Tim. I'm done with all of this. I deserve better than this."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Tim took a step toward her, his heart sinking as he realized how deeply this had hurt her. "Ashley, please—"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;""No," Ashley cut him off, her voice firm despite the tears in her eyes. "I can't do this anymore, Tim. I can't be with someone I can't trust."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"And with that, she turned and walked out the door, leaving Tim and Lucy standing in stunned silence. The sound of the door closing behind her felt like the end of something important, something that had been slipping away for a long time./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"For a moment, the apartment was quiet. Tim stared at the door, his mind racing with everything that had just happened. He knew Ashley was hurt, but he hadn't expected it to end like this. He hadn't expected her to leave./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Lucy sank back onto the couch, her hands shaking. "Tim…I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Tim turned to her, shaking his head. "No, Lucy. It's not your fault. This was a long time coming. Ashley and I…we've been struggling for a while. This was just the breaking point."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;""But if I hadn't been here…" Lucy's voice was filled with regret./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Tim walked over to her, sitting down beside her. "If it wasn't this, it would have been something else. We weren't right for each other, and deep down, we both knew it."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Lucy looked at him, searching his face for any sign of anger or blame, but all she saw was a mixture of sadness and acceptance. "I hate that this happened, Tim. You didn't deserve that."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Tim sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Neither did you. But we can't change what happened. All we can do is move forward."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Lucy nodded, though the weight of the situation still hung heavily on her. "Thank you for being there for me, Tim. I don't know what I would have done without you."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"Tim gave her a small, reassuring smile. "You're my partner, Lucy. I'm always going to be there for you."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"They sat in silence for a few moments, both of them processing the events of the morning. The peace they had found the night before was gone, replaced by a new reality that neither of them had anticipated./span/p