The clicking, creaking noise of the ceiling fan was a welcome reprieve from the apprehensive silence between Reece and Sadie as they lay in the bed, side by side, but with a canyon of distance between them. Both of their bodies were covered only by the crisp, white sheets of the bed, and both of their pairs of eyes stared straight up at the cracked plaster ceiling. The lamp on Reece’s bedside table shone a faint, yellow light around the room, barely bright enough to reach the closed door that led into the rest of the apartment. 

“We gonna talk about it?” Reece asked suddenly, his voice making Sadie jolt ever-so-slightly in the bed, before she sighed, closing her eyes. 

“Really? Now?” 

“Yes, now. When else?” 

Sadie raised a hand to her forehead, rubbing it. “I dunno, Reece. Another time?” 

“There are no other times, you know that.” 

She clenched her jaw, turning her head to the side to find Reece staring at her. “And you know that isn’t my fault.” 

“At this point, I think it is.” 

“Jesus, what do you want from me? I see you as often as I can!” Sadie tore the covers off herself, turning away from Reece so he couldn’t see her chest when she sat up, her legs hanging off the edge of the bed. 

“I want a divorce.” 

Sadie rolled her eyes, standing up and grabbing an oversized shirt off the armrest, slipping it on and turning back to face him. “Absolutely not.” 

“Why?” 

She squinted at him. “Fuck you mean, why?” 

He sat up, propping his pillow onto the headrest and sitting against it, the sheets barely covering his crotch. “That’s what I mean. I didn’t think I needed to elaborate.” 

“Because we love each other, maybe?” she spat, snatching her panties off the ground and pulling them on. 

“Yeah, this is definitely evidence of that.” 

“Fuck off.” 

Reece got out of the bed, walking around it to put his hands on Sadie’s shoulders. She shrugged them off, taking a few steps back. 

“Put your dick away.” 

“This isn’t sustainable,” Reece said, ignoring her. “Maybe you’re getting everything you want out of this, but I want more. I want actual commitment.” 

“This is ‘actual commitment.’ I literally have no free time because all of it is spent with you.” 

Reece’s mouth set in a line, and he crossed his arms. “That’s why I’m asking for the divorce. It isn’t enough.” 

Sadie pulled on a pair of pants and slipped on her shoes, leaving her socks hanging over the edge of the bed. “I can’t talk about this right now. It’s late, I need to get back.” 

“Funny how every time I bring this up, you need to leave.” 

“Yeah, almost as if it’s nine past six in the morning and my husband will be up in about an hour and a half, wondering where I am.” She stomped to the door, turning the handle and opening it. 

“How about this – you tell him, or we’re done.” 

Sadie stopped and slowly turned her head to face him again. “Excuse me?” 

“You heard me.” 

She shut the door. “That’s not fair.” 

“Now you know how I feel. Choose – me, or him.”