As Stuart Bloom In TBBT Chapter 39: The Melissa Decision

Novel: As Stuart Bloom In TBBT Author: WhatIf4132 Updated: Jun 03, 2026

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Now reading: Chapter 39: The Melissa Decision from As Stuart Bloom In TBBT, a Adventure novel by WhatIf4132.

The Seattle job offer letter sits on my coffee table.

lissa's been staring at it for ten minutes, wine glass untouched beside her.

"I'm taking it," she finally says.

"I know."

"You know?"

"Penny ntioned you'd decided. And—" I gesture at the letter. "—you wouldn't be staring at it like that if you weren't sure."

She sets down the wine, picks up the letter instead. Folds it carefully into thirds.

"January fifteenth. I start January fifteenth."

Six weeks away.

The math's been running in my head since October. Six weeks of dating soone you're going to lose. Six weeks of pretending it's not ending. Six weeks of borrowed ti.

"We should talk about us," she says.

"Yeah."

Neither of us moves.

Outside, soone's holiday decorations blink on and off. Red, green, red, green. The rhythm feels like a countdown.

"I don't want to do long distance," lissa continues. "I've seen it fail too many tis. Different cities, different lives, growing apart through phone calls and occasional visits."

"Agreed."

"So we break up."

The words land without drama. Just fact.

"Yeah. We break up."

She's not crying. Neither am I. Just two people acknowledging reality.

"When?" she asks. "Before I leave? After? Do we—how do we do this?"

I've been thinking about this for two months. Ever since the Seattle offer materialized.

"We keep dating. Normally. Make these six weeks good. Then you leave, and we're done. Clean break."

"That's very rational."

"You taught rational."

"I taught you to communicate." She finally drinks her wine. "Is that what you want? Six more weeks of us?"

"Is it what you want?"

"I asked first."

Fair point.

I consider lying. Saying I'm fine with ending it now, ripping the band-aid off. But lissa deserves honesty.

"I want every minute I can get. Six weeks, six days, six hours. Whatever you'll give before Seattle takes you away."

Her eyes water. First tears of the conversation.

"That's—Stuart, that's exactly what I wanted to hear."

"Then we agree. Six weeks. Then done."

"Then done."

We plan it like a project.

No dramatic goodbye. No airport scenes. Just—she leaves for Seattle, and we stop being a couple.

"I'll text when I get there," lissa says. "Let you know I arrived safely."

"Good."

"Then we go silent for a while. Maybe a month. Let the feelings settle."

"How long?"

"However long it takes to stop hurting." She refills her wine. "Then maybe we can be friends. Eventually. If that's—if you want that."

"I want that."

"Good."

The plan takes shape: Keep dating through January 14th. No sad countdowns. No "lasts"—last date, last kiss, last anything. Just normal relationship stuff until it's not a relationship anymore.

"We're very mature about this," I observe.

"We're very sad about this."

"That too."

She moves to the couch, curls against . We fit together like always. Like we'll fit for six more weeks. Then never again.

"Thank you," lissa says quietly.

"For what?"

"For being soone who made believe in good n. Before you, I dated—" She stops. "—a lot of assholes. Guys who talked big but delivered small. You delivered."

"You taught I could be soone worth dating. That success doesn't an being an asshole."

"We helped each other."

"Yeah."

The holiday lights keep blinking outside. Ti passing in red and green intervals.

"Six weeks," she repeats.

"Six weeks."

"Let's make them perfect."

"Deal."

Later, lying in bed, I think about the powers.

They showed stocks, products, cultural trends. Gave perfect financial foresight.

Never warned about this.

Couldn't have. Personal relationships exist outside the database. lissa's career trajectory wasn't in my absorbed mories.