Updated Feb 23, 2026 • ~5 min read
POV: Rory
I’m at work when Theo walks into my classroom.
Theo Parker. My ex-boyfriend from college. The one I dated for two years before we mutually broke up because we wanted different things.
I haven’t seen him in four years.
“Theo?”
He grins. That same easy smile that made me fall for him back in college.
“Hey, Rory.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Heard you were going through a rough time. Thought I’d check in.”
“How did you even—”
“Priya told me.”
Of course she did.
“Look, I appreciate the concern, but I’m fine—”
“You’re not fine. Your husband’s wife woke up from a coma and now you’re in a legal battle. That’s not fine. That’s a nightmare.”
He’s not wrong.
“What do you want, Theo?”
“To take you to lunch. Talk. Like old times.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not? You need a friend. I’m offering to be one.”
Isabel pokes her head in.
“Rory, faculty meeting in—oh. Sorry. Didn’t know you had a visitor.”
“This is Theo. An old friend. Theo, Isabel.”
They shake hands.
“I’ll catch you at the meeting,” Isabel says, giving me a look that clearly means “we’ll talk about this later.”
When she leaves, Theo says: “One hour. Just lunch. No pressure.”
“Fine. But just lunch.”
We go to a café near the school.
It’s weird being here with Theo. He was part of a different life. Before Dominic. Before all of this.
“So,” he says after we order. “Tell me everything.”
I do. The whole story.
The coma. Celeste waking up. The legal battle.
Theo listens without interrupting.
When I finish, he says: “That’s insane.”
“I know.”
“And he won’t choose you?”
“He can’t choose. Says he feels too guilty.”
“Guilt isn’t love.”
“I know that too.”
Theo leans back.
“Can I be honest with you?”
“Please.”
“You deserve better than a guy who can’t decide if he wants you.”
“It’s not that simple—”
“It IS that simple. If he loved you the way you deserve, there wouldn’t be a question. He’d fight for you. End of story.”
“He’s in an impossible situation—”
“He PUT himself in that situation by not being honest from the start. He should have told Celeste about you immediately when she woke up. Instead, he tried to manage both of you, and now everyone’s miserable.”
He’s not wrong.
“What do you think I should do?” I ask.
“Walk away. Let him figure out his mess. Focus on yourself.”
“That’s what everyone keeps telling me.”
“Because it’s good advice.”
“But I love him.”
“I know. But sometimes love isn’t enough. Sometimes you have to love yourself more.”
We eat in silence for a bit.
“You know what’s funny?” Theo says.
“What?”
“When we were together, I always thought you’d end up with someone stable. Predictable. Someone who’d give you the quiet life you wanted.”
“Dominic was stable. Before all this.”
“Was he? Or did you just not know about the chaos hiding underneath?”
That hits harder than it should.
“What are you really doing here, Theo?”
“Honestly? I heard about your situation and I thought—here’s my chance.”
“Your chance for what?”
“To tell you that I was wrong. When we broke up, I said we wanted different things. But maybe we didn’t. Maybe I just wasn’t ready to commit to what you needed.”
Oh no.
“Theo—”
“I’m not saying we should get back together. I’m just saying… if you decide to walk away from Dominic, I’m here. If you need a friend. Or more than a friend.”
“I’m married.”
“Are you though?”
The question hangs in the air.
“I’m legally unclear, but emotionally committed,” I say.
“To a guy who can’t commit to you?”
“It’s not that—”
“It IS that. Rory, you’re amazing. Smart, talented, beautiful, kind. You deserve someone who chooses you without hesitation. If Dominic can’t be that person, someone else will.”
“Someone like you?”
“Maybe. If you’ll have me.”
I stare at him.
This is surreal.
My ex-boyfriend is offering to be my backup plan while my maybe-husband decides between me and his coma wife.
My life is a bad rom-com.
“I can’t do this right now,” I say.
“I’m not asking you to decide anything. Just… think about it. You have options. You don’t have to wait for Dominic to maybe choose you eventually.”
When I get back to school, Isabel corners me.
“Who was THAT?”
“Theo. My ex.”
“The college boyfriend?”
“Yeah.”
“What did he want?”
“To offer himself as an alternative if Dominic doesn’t work out.”
“Wow. Guys have timing.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Are you considering it?”
“God, no. I love Dom.”
“But Dom is…”
“Drowning in guilt and indecision. I know.”
Isabel hands me coffee.
“Can I give you some unsolicited advice?”
“Sure.”
“Whatever you decide—stay with Dom, leave Dom, give Theo a chance—make sure it’s YOUR decision. Not his mom’s opinion. Not Celeste’s legal filing. Not Theo’s offer. YOURS. What do YOU want?”
“I want my husband to fight for me.”
“Then tell him that. Give him a deadline. If he can’t choose you by the court date, walk away. Don’t wait forever for someone who can’t decide.”
She’s right.
Everyone’s been giving advice. Making demands. Taking sides.
But what do I want?
I want Dominic.
But I also want to not feel like second choice.
I want love without guilt.
I want a marriage that’s legally and emotionally mine.
And if I can’t have that… maybe I need to let go.
That night, I text Dominic.
Me: “We need to talk. Tomorrow. Your choice where.”
Dominic: “My office? Noon?”
Me: “Fine.”
I’m done waiting for him to decide.
I’m making my own decision.
And whatever happens, at least I’ll know I fought for what I wanted—and walked away when it wasn’t enough.
END OF CHAPTER 12
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