The thought hits me hard.My heart forgets to beat.
His smile falters.His eyes widen, brow furrowing with unease.He looks away, a faint flush creeping up his neck.
“Here,” he says, almost shoving the ring towards me, his hand jerky.“Take it.”
I stare at him, confused by the shift.
What just happened?
One minute he’s beaming, the next he looks like he’s seen a ghost.
I hesitate, fingers hovering over the ring.A part of me wants to take it, to end this ordeal.But a rebellious spark ignites, a fierce desire to reject this symbol of a life built on lies.A desperate urge to defy the invisible strings pulling me back to James.
My internal battle rages.But I force myself to reach out.My fingers brush his as I close them around the cool metal.A tingle shoots up my arm.
“Thank you,” I say, my voice thin.
He avoids my gaze, jaw ticking.“I—I need to get back to work,” he mutters, pushing himself to his feet.“I didn’t get much done today.Lots to catch up on.”He runs a hand through his hair.
“Right,” I whisper.“Of course.”
He doesn’t want me here.The thought is a cold, hard certainty.
Time to get back to the apartment, face James, and figure out what to do with my life.
I turn and head back towards the steps, each footfall heavy with defeat.I bend to slip my stilettos back on, the pointed toes pinching my swollen feet.My fingers fumble with the clasp of my handbag.
How did I get here?
I thought I was building a life, a future.
Now it’s all crumbling around me.
Just a day ago, I had a fiancé, a café…
Now, I’m just a woman scrambling for scraps of her own existence.
“Amy.”
I stiffen, my hand freezing mid-air.A pulse of apprehension fights with a flicker of curiosity.I clamp down on the unwelcome surge of hope.This is a man I barely know.A man who, despite his fleeting kindness, is contributing to my ruin.God knows I don’t need any more ruin right now.
Matthew stands a few feet away, his expression unreadable, jaw clenched.He takes a step closer, then hesitates.
“Be careful,” he says.
“Really?”I scoff.
After witnessing the wreckage of my life, all he can offer is a flimsy ‘be careful’?
He looks away, his gaze fixed on some distant point past where I stand.“Just… be careful,” he repeats, his warning strained.
He shoves his hands into his pockets, turns abruptly, and heads for the house.I watch him go, my heart sinking with every step he takes away from me.
Is this really it?
The warmth of the late afternoon sun feels like a distant memory as a chilly breeze whips through the trees.The invisible strings tighten, pulling me back towards the life I desperately want to escape.With a heavy sigh, I turn and walk towards the street, the weight of the ring heavy in my handbag.
I cross the street to hail a cab, my thoughts already focused on the confrontation that awaits me.The apartment, once a haven of love and security, now feels like a prison.
