He didn’t even look back at me as he shoved his phone into his pocket and headed for the door, not a single word of goodbye. It wasn’t the first time he’d left me without a second thought, like some stranger he barely knew. I watched the door close behind him, the emptiness in my heart as vast as ever.
Once the silence settled back in, I took a moment to let the numbness pass, then dialed my cousin’s number. She’d practically raised me after my parents left for business abroad, so we were as close as siblings. Darrel had been in our lives since then too.
We’d all gone to the same boarding school, growing up together. Eventually, my cousin got married and when our family home was demolished, Darrel insisted I move in with him for my “safety.”
Seven years later, we were still living under the same roof, but the dream had died.
When my cousin picked up, her voice was bright, practically bursting with excitement. “Finally! Seven years and it’s finally happening. When’s the wedding? Tell me the date—I want to be there in person, to see this day come true. After all this time, you both deserve it!”