And I meant it. I had no desire to entangle myself with him any further. The last time had left me scrubbing my skin raw, trying and failing to wash away the disgust that lingered.
But this time, he hesitated. His eyes lingered on my face before he spoke into the phone.
“I’m busy. I can’t come.”
Anne’s sobs grew louder.
“Evan, without you, I don’t think I’ll make it through the night. But if you’re busy, I’ll be good… I’ll take my medicine and hope I can see you one last time tomorrow.”
Evan faltered for a moment before finally letting me go.
I felt no sadness or surprise. My heart had long since turned cold. How could I expect anything from a man who had only ever let me down?
He adjusted his tie and placed a light kiss on my forehead. “Goodnight, Claire.”
Noticing my calm expression, a flicker of unease crossed his face. He instructed the staff to keep an eye on me before leaving for Anne’s.
Even after he left, the messages kept coming, each one laced with a condescending tone that felt even heavier in his absence. He repeatedly promised to make it up to me “later,” a convenient excuse–a universal get–out–of–jail–free card.
It dangled just enough hope to keep me waiting, believing he would change, that he would come back to love me again. And in the meantime, my resentment would seem irrational, my anger unjustified.
When we first started dating, he never spoke like this.
www
wwwww
I remembered seeing a beautifully decorated cake online from a bakery I’d wanted to try. casually mentioned it to him in a text, saying we should go together someday.
The next day, he showed up with the cake in hand.
“Claire, let’s eat it now!”
I was surprised and delighted, teasing him lightly. “We had plenty of time. You didn’t have to rush out to buy it.”
But he shook his head and scooped a bite of cake onto a spoon, holding it to my lips.
“If it’s delicious, I’ll buy more in the future.”
The creamy frosting melted in my mouth, sweet and delicate, filling my heart with warmth.
I couldn’t stop smiling as I exclaimed how delicious it was, my lips curving upward in pure
joy.
I
2/3
He stared at my mouth for a moment, caught off guard, before quickly looking away, his gaze flustered.
“Then I’ll try some too.”
I noticed the faint blush creeping up his ears and, unable to resist teasing him, leaned closer and pointed at my lips.
“Here, have a taste.”
The cake was so sweet, its taste lingered in my memory for a long time.
And he loved me so much back then that I ended up loving him for just as long.