Chapter 2 #2
There were unshed tears in her eyes, and I badly wanted to reach out and wipe them away. I wanted to say I was just joking, that I didn’t mean what I said, that we were good, but the damage was done, and there was no going back.
“What are you saying Richard?”, she finally whispered after what felt like an eternity.
“I…. I want to break up, Katie”, I replied, my eyes downcast, unable to see her teary eyes any longer.
“Because you want to travel?”
I knew she was mocking me, but I couldn’t be angry at her. She had the right to mockery, anger, and everything she wanted to unleash on me. After 2 years, she had the right to all of that and more.
But she didn’t say anything more.
“And what is this?”, she asked, and I finally remembered the earrings I bought for her to soften the blow. I felt like such a tool right then. I almost wanted to hide them away, but she’d already opened it.
When she saw the diamond earrings inside, she scoffed.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me”, she muttered under her breath. “You really are a spoilt rich brat, aren’t you?”, she looked at me with so much anger that my breath caught in my throat. I had no answer for her.
After all, I was the idiot who thought a pair of earrings could make what I was about to do right. I’m lucky her drink wasn’t soaking my dress shirt.
With another scoff, she closed the jewel box, pushed it toward me, got up, and just left. Not another word. She didn’t even look back at me. And she definitely didn’t let the tears gathering in her eyes fall. She was dignified to the end.
I felt a pang in my heart watching her walk away, but I ruthlessly pushed it down. This was for the best, I told myself for the umpteenth time, but I didn’t know if I believed it anymore.
I felt like the jewel box she left behind was looking at me in judgment. I was tempted to throw it across the restaurant, consequences be damned, but I controlled myself.
Now
And that was the last time I saw her, until now. She didn’t make a scene. She didn’t even cry. She was more dignified than the billionaires I’ve seen all my life. My Katie, the love of my life, walked away from me that day. I didn’t realize it back then, but she took my heart with her.
After our breakup, I did travel as I’d wanted. I lived the rich bachelor life. I hooked up, drank, and partied. In fact, I hit the clubs the day after the breakup. I guess I just wanted to prove something to myself. That night was a disaster.
I thought I saw Katie there, and I tried to go to her, but by the time I got to the other end of the club, there was no one there.
So I drank some more, and danced some more. And that was how my life was for the next 6 months. Empty. Meaningless. Depressing.
I missed her like hell. No one could fill the hole she left in my heart. At first, I tried to have meaningless sex with women I met in my travels, and when that didn’t fulfill me, I tried dating again.
But I couldn’t. I just couldn’t. I found myself comparing every woman I dated to Katie.
No one could intellectually stimulate me the way she could.
She could barely hold a job when we were dating, but we had more interesting conversations than the ones I had with all the high-powered businesswomen I met combined.
It was frustrating, so after a while, I just stopped trying.
I tried looking for her, but she was nowhere to be found. She’d quit her job, moved out of her apartment and changed her number. It was like she just disappeared. She wasn’t on social media, so that made things all the more difficult.
But now, here she is, right in front of me, looking at me like I’m the cause of all her misery…which I guess I am, in hindsight. But we broke up 5 years ago. Why is she still so angry with me?
Well, it doesn’t matter. I let her go once because I was an idiot. I won’t make the same mistake again. I’ll just have to find a way to make her like me again. I’ll do whatever it takes.
“Ms. Moore. Nice to meet you”. I held out my hand with an ear-splitting grin.
She cleared her throat, obviously uncomfortable with the situation and a little taken aback at my very pleasant attitude. I guess she didn’t expect the guy who dumped her like yesterday’s trash to be happy to see her again. God, I have so much to make up for.
She almost looked like she wanted to bolt out of here, and for a second there, I thought she would, but yet again, she decided to surprise me. She took a discreet breath, squared her shoulders, and looked me right in the eyes before returning my greeting.
“Hello, Mr. Cartright. I’m Katie Moore. Nice to meet you”, she replied while meeting my hand with her own.
Her tone was professional. Looking at her, you wouldn’t believe she’d been flustered to see me a minute ago.
She had her businesswoman mask on. This new Katie is so mesmerizing.
I would love to get to know her all over again.
Our hands met, and there it was, the same electricity shooting up our arms. Looking at Katie’s uncomfortable eye squint, I guess she felt it too. We still have that explosive chemistry. Katie didn’t look happy when she came to the same realization, but that’s too bad.
She’s mine. She’s always been mine. I was an idiot once. I’ll never make the mistake of letting her go ever again. It’s time to win my woman back.