After Eight Years of Hiding, I Chose Myself

I tugged at the corners of my mouth and looked at him, calm as still water.

"If a game is all it takes for you to kiss another woman in front of everyone, then what were these eight years to you?"

Tristan frowned and tried to explain.

"Dee, you know my history with Tessa. She dumped me in college for some trust-fund kid. That's always been a sore spot. So when she showed up out of nowhere last night, I just... I wasn't over it."

My eyes burned as I cut him off.

"You weren't over it, so you kissed her, held her, draped your jacket over her shoulders? And me? Your actual girlfriend was sitting in the corner, and you didn't even glance my way."

"I was afraid your brother would find out—"

"Enough."

I couldn't listen to another word. "It's always about my brother finding out. You've been hiding behind that excuse for eight years. Aren't you tired of it?"

Tristan went quiet, his eyes dropping to the ground like a child caught doing something wrong.

Every time he'd made that face before, I'd softened.

Not this time.

"Tristan, we're done."

I turned and walked away.

He grabbed my wrist. "Dee, can you really bring yourself to end this?"

"There's nothing left to hold on to."

When I got home, I dug out every single thing Tristan had ever given me.

Necklaces, handbags, clothes, stuffed animals.

I shoved them all into a garbage bag and threw the whole thing in the dumpster.

Then I pulled up his contact information.

If it was going to end, it was going to end completely.

For two straight weeks, I didn't see Tristan once.

Some nights, glancing out the window without thinking, I'd spot him standing below my building, waiting.

I never responded. I just pulled the curtains shut.

Until the day I left my job.

Tristan was waiting downstairs outside my office building.

He looked worse than before. Dark circles carved hollows beneath his eyes, and the rims were red as he stared at me.

"Dee, why have you been avoiding me all this time?"

"I know I was wrong. If you want to go public, we'll go tell your brother right now—"

I pulled free of his grip. "It's too late."

I turned and left.

Tristan stood rooted to the spot, his voice raw. "Too late? What does that mean..."

But no one was there to answer him anymore.

Over the next two weeks, Tristan searched for me like a man losing his mind.

He even showed up at my brother's company, fishing for any news about me.

Myron didn't know we'd been together, but he could tell something was off.

None of that reached me, though. What I heard was that Tristan and Tessa had gotten back together, spending more and more time side by side, going to the hospital together, shopping together.

One evening Myron came home, sat down on the couch, and studied me for a long time.

"Doreen, what's going on between you and Tristan?"

My expression didn't shift. "Nothing. Why?"

"He keeps coming to me, beating around the bush trying to ask about you."

Myron fixed me with a scrutinizing look, brow furrowed.

"One minute he's asking if you're seeing someone new. The next he wants to know if you've been in a good mood lately. When I ask him flat out if he's got feelings for you, he denies it."

I lowered my gaze. "Maybe he's just being friendly."

"Friendly, my ass."

Myron scoffed. "That guy never once asked me about you before. All of a sudden he can't stop? Something's going on."

I was quiet for a moment, unsure what to say.

"Doreen, be straight with me. Are you and Tristan hiding something from me?"

Myron's eyes were dead serious. So serious I couldn't hold his gaze.

"Myron, stop overthinking this. There's nothing going on between me and Tristan."

Myron studied me for a long time before finally letting out a sigh.

"Fine. If you don't want to talk about it, I won't push. But remember one thing: no matter what happens, I'm your brother. I will always be on your side."

"Besides, didn't you already agree to the engagement with Dominic Harrington?"

"The ceremony's set for next month in Bali, barring any surprises. Buy your ticket in the next few days and head out early. Treat yourself to a vacation first."

I nodded. "Okay. I've pretty much finished packing. I'll leave tomorrow."

"Dominic said he'd fly back tomorrow to pick me up."

The next evening, once Myron confirmed I was already on my flight, he deliberately called Tristan and invited him out to dinner.

Tristan brought Tessa along.

Myron looked at the two of them, amusement glinting in his eyes, and spoke up on purpose.

"My sister flew to Bali. She's probably out of the country by now."

Tristan's head snapped up, his face drained of color. He grabbed Myron by the collar.

"What did you just say? Why is she going to Bali?"