She Walked Away, He Went Mad

lle

cancer, stage three. You have misse

n my ears drowned it out entirely. I just kept thinking that

pital corridor for a long time before finally pulling out my phone. I didn't dial Courtney's number-in three y

finally picked up, his tone as dismissive and alo

curling into a tight fist. "I have someth

evino i

please. Just let h

he first time I had ever

man's voice drifted through the receiver. "Courtney,

ok

into my very bones. But that gentleness? I

ic

up without

y next

om

, a third... Cascades of fire lit up the ink-blue night, paintin

B

r Ro

ey, the ruthless captain of the Boston franchise, was clad in a dark, tailored overcoat. With one arm, he shiel

ertainment!" the anchor gushed. "The lucky lady is Blair Romero, right? The Ivy League-educated pioneer in sports

er like this. Put me in his ska

d back, staring

atively asked him if there would be fireworks at the harbor fo

ked up from his pl

weren't childish. I ju

d fluttered to the hospital floor. People walking past stepped on

nd down to

front door of th

one in the pitch-black living room. On the dining table in front of me

ogether in a slight frown, acting as if he h

you sti

his arm. On the collar of his crisp dress shirt was a faint

, I pressed my hand against my lower abdomen, my lips pressed into a tigh

t did the

ng legs already carrying him

ecked out. He promised five times, and he broke that promise five times. It was always

was Blair'

my eyes. "Why did y

, walked back down, and leaned over, caging m

de of my neck, his voice dropping into a hu

eir? Every month on these days, I come back on schedule

ng to his clothes. It hit me like a slapshot straight to

e ye

ild, so he returned home a few days a month, executing it like a contra

a b

t crumpled piece of paper at

to have a child. N

ight from the arms of another woma

ars. I had swallowed the pain an

t, I suddenly didn't wa

n the dim light, I looked up at him.

ack from Blair's side, and

fraid she'll

vements stopp

in silence for a few long seconds. The temperature in his dark eyes plummeted to abs

us of

e, the one kept in the shadows, the one who ca

ose to be Mrs. Trevino. Since you made your ch

heart. The central AC was set to a warm seventy-eight degrees, but

y, a faint smile b

urt

get a d