It hit me then, like another punch in the gut, that the man I'd loved for so long was… gone. Or maybe he'd never really been here. It felt like I was looking at a stranger.
He noticed me pulling away and reached out, trying to wrap me in a hug, but I jerked back, instinctively pushing him away.
"I've explained everything!" Cedric snapped, his patience running thin. "What do you want from me? Should I get on my knees and beg? And that cake—it wouldn't kill you to eat a piece! Did you have to make it such a big deal?"
I met his gaze, my voice calm and cold. "I heard you. Now, I'm going to sleep."
With that, I turned off the light, my back to him. He let out a frustrated huff and stormed off to the guest room. For the first time, I didn't follow. I didn't try to smooth things over. I just let him go. And that night, I actually slept soundly.
By the time I woke up, he was already gone.