Chapter 6
He cradled my head gently, panic. overtaking him. His hands trembled uncontrollably, stained with my blood.
“Callie, stay awake please…”
But all the response he got was the chaotic noise of the surroundings.
The paramedics arrived, loading me onto a stretcher. I was vaguely aware of him still standing there, utterly wrecked.
“Rob.” It was Caitline who finally pulled. him back to reality. “Are you okay? Let’s get you checked out at the hospital.”
My consciousness faded completely, and I lost all sense of what was happening around me.
In that endless darkness, I felt like I was dreaming. The dream was filled with memories of us.
We hadn’t been together for long, but
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we’d been stupidly, sickeningly happy.
He’d learned how to cook fish just
because he knew I loved it. He‘ d even
gone to my favorite restaurant in secret to ask the chef for tips.
One weekend, he woke up early and went to the market to buy fresh fish, determined
to make it himself.
But the truth was, he couldn’t cook at all. The guy couldn’t even squeeze tomatoes and make scrambled eggs without turning. it into a disaster.
I’d leaned against the kitchen doorway, half–amused, half–concerned. “Maybe I should just do it?”
He wiped his hands on his apron and shoved me out of the kitchen with that stupid, overconfident grin of his.
“Relax. Your boyfriend‘ s got this. Go sit on the couch and watch TV.”
So I sat there, pretending to watch cartoons
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eninsvhile my ears stayed glued to the sounds
coming from the kitchen.
&fish
- H. My heart was in my throat. It was torture trantfighting the urge to rush in and take over.
Luckily, Robin didn’t keep me waiting. earlong. He walked out of the kitchen with a fishplate of braised fish that looked straight out
of a restaurant, raising an eyebrow.
dn’t “Well? Your boyfriend didn’t disappoint, quelid he?”
with
couldn’t help myself. I stood on my toes. nd kissed him. At that moment, he looked tchaike he was glowing.
ned.me
saphis
His eyes held galaxies, and in front of me tood the person I adored.
hentohe
1 GE
really thought we’d stay happy like this orever- -planning a wedding someday, m rowing old together.
sgus
ut, as the saying goes, good things don’t
ist.
thing for
Guys change. Sometimes it takes years, but
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Chapter 6
with Robin, it only took a few months.
Those months, though, felt like a dream. A beautiful, fleeting dream.
I don’t know when it started, but he changed–or maybe he just got tired of me.
The way he looked at me wasn’t the same anymore. He stopped caring the way he used to.
Before, if I wasn‘ t home by ten, he’d call nonstop. Now? I could be gone all night, and he wouldn’t notice.
He used to care about every little thing I said. Now, even the smallest things seemed
to irritate him.
Maybe it was for the best.
I was exhausted–working day and night to pay off some ridiculous debt he never explained and jumping at every chance to make money without hesitation.
Looking back, I couldn’t help but laugh. God, I wasted my money and my youth!
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1 exhausted everything I had, but in the end, I got nothing out of it.
Breaking up was bound to happen.
I just didn’t think he‘ d lie to me before it
did.
At the hospital, Robin stayed by my bed, looking like he hadn’t slept in days.
He stared at me with this guilty expression.
“Callie… I’m sorry. I should‘ ve been paying more attention to you.”
He took my hand, rambling on about the
past.
“Remember when I hid that little bunny figurine by your bed? I wasn‘ t trying to scare you. I just thought it could keep you company when I wasn‘ t around.”
“Or the time the motion–sensor light by the door broke, but it was fixed the next day? You thought the maintenance guy was, but it was me. I even got jealous over it.”
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He chuckled softly, his eyes crinkling. Tightening his grip on my hand, he added,
“And our first date? You were so shy, blushing like crazy. I wanted to pull you into my arms so bad, but I was afraid I’d freak you out.”
Hearing all that made me feel… weird.
It surprised me that he remembered so much so clearly, every little detail.
But why had he stopped caring about
them?
Oh well, none of that mattered anymore. I’d already made up my mind to let him
- go.
It’s exhausting to love someone.
When I finally opened my eyes, I saw him still sitting there for who knew how long.
Even his usual clean–shaven face had faint stubble–something he’d never let slide
before.
Yet here he was, not even bothering to take
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care of himself, all because of me.
For a second, I wasn’t sure if I should feel relieved that he still cared.
The moment he realized I was awake, his whole face lit up. He dropped whatever he was holding and rushed over to help me sit
- up.
But I pushed his hand away. Silent rejection.
My voice was dry and cracked from not drinking for days, but I managed to speak.
“Robin, what’s the point of all this?”
He froze for a moment, though his face went blank. Deep down, I knew my words. hit him hard.
“What are you talking about, Callie?” he
asked.
I met his gaze and said each word. “Let‘ s break up.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, it felt. like a huge weight had been lifted off my
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chest.
All the drama, all the back–and–forth–it
was over.
Whether he was some rich guy or anything else, none of it mattered anymore.
His hand tightened around the glass of water he was holding, his knuckles turning white. He tried to smile, but it looked
forced.
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