She stood there looking at her packed suitcase, waiting for Prince to come up and talk her out of leaving. Or do anything to make her feel less inconsequential to his existence. She sat down on the bed and waited, waited for him to charge through the door and tell her how he couldn't imagine a life without her. It never happened. And so she rose again, taking a last look around the lavish room she’d slept in this past year.
She had anticipated feeling shitty about leaving him but now all she felt was relief…and grief that she didn't matter enough. That hurt the most; after a year you want to believe that you had some effect on your significant other. You want some confirmation that they would be torn up if you walked out of their lives. Prince could not even give her that.
She picked up her phone and ordered a taxi, then dragged the packed suitcase off the bed and went downstairs to say goodbye.
"Where are you going?" Prince asked from where he’d slumped on the sofa, silently waiting. He hadn’t undressed during their rough coupling earlier, and all he’d had to do was zip up his trousers when she’d stumbled away from him. Now he sat, crisp white shirt unbuttoned to the waist, revealing a tanned expanse of muscled torso. So beautiful, and yet he looked so weary that she contemplated abandoning her plans of leaving and just holding his hand through this. But she knew halfway across the world was a man counting the minutes till he could brag to the world that she was his to have and hold. Prince would never give her that.
"My mom's. I'll send a van for the rest of my things," she said, refusing to meet his eyes and choosing to look down at her feet instead.
Chapter 7
Prince Walker
"Iwas hoping we would go back to my place," I said as I looked at Angelique, annoyed to hear the uncertainty in my voice. "Why do you need a suitcase for your mother's? We could have the movers bring your things to my house."
"I'm not moving in with you, Prince. You remember how, when we first started dating, you said you wanted space? What has changed? I could have stayed in my apartment but you bought me this place. You got me a car and made sure it came factory-fitted with a GPS so you could be apprised of all my movements. You make it seem as though these are the only things I care about but all I have done is take what you give. The one thing I wanted still eludes me."
"What thing?"
"Your heart. You never gave me your heart. You were with me but you weren't."
"Why are you speaking in past tense, Angel? I'm here. I'm right here." I walked over and took her hand, kissing it.
Her face screwed up in pain and she finally let her tears fall. I’d never seen her cry, not even a tear, my heart ached and she cried even harder when I drew her in for a hug.
"No, you aren't," she said through her tears. "You treat me like an afterthought sometimes. You never let me inside your head. You have Jane pick out my gifts and send me messages for birthdays and anniversaries. Don't think I don't notice. You rarely miss me when I'm away…well, sometimes you miss the sex but not me; not me sitting across from you or sharing the bed with you."
My head was pounding with the truth in her words. Had I really shoved her to a corner of my life and overlooked her importance? We’d never had a conversation as raw and honest as this; I was surprised by how much she intuitively knew about me. How much of my secret side had she'd uncovered, even though I had unconsciously tried to shut her out?
"Move in with me, Angel. Give me the chance to make up for wasted time," I begged earnestly. I had never seen her face so sad, or so determined before.
“Oh, Prince, why did it have to take so long?” Her eyes were huge, agonized pools. "I have to go. I can't be here right now," she said, turning away and seizing the handle of her suitcase.
"I understand you need time to calm down. I'll drive you to your mom's. Then I'll come over when you've had time to think about things. You may not believe me, but you've been the only constant in my life, I don't want to lose you," I pleaded.
To hell with my pride.
"I'm afraid it's too late."
"Please don't say that, Angel. I know things will be a little difficult right now, but I can fix it. Give me time, and I'll buy you even bigger houses, and more cars than you know what to do with. Don't give up on us."
She stared at me as if I wasn’t getting the point. Maybe I wasn’t. Did it matter? I was offering her myself on a platter. What the fuck more did she want?
"I'll send a van tomorrow. Please leave the key with the housekeeper. She can supervise the move if you're too busy. I trust her."
"Let me drop you off," I said in a resigned voice.
"That's not necessary. I already called a taxi."
"You're mad at me," I said. The words seemed pointless.
"Yes! Yes, I am. I don't care for the houses and cars, you aren't even listening to me! How can we sort things out when you still choose to run with the ideas of me you've curated in your head? Your status means little to me. I'm not my mother.I just wanted a boyfriend who loved me and didn't fuck me like he was exorcising his demons. Goodbye, Prince. And… I am sorry."
I watched as she opened the door and walked away.
∞∞∞
Sasha Ramirez
