His Heart Was Never Mine to Keep

"Aveline, we’re so glad you've come to your senses! When are you coming back? Your dad and I will get everything ready for you."

I rubbed my eyes, which were red and swollen from crying.

"About a week. I need to wrap things up at my studio here."

My parents happily hung up.

Back at my apartment, I packed my essentials into a suitcase, deciding to toss everything else.

I would box up everything that belonged to Yates and send it back.

At midnight, I was drifting in a light sleep when a familiar pair of hands pinned my wrists above my head.

"Aveline, you didn't even come to my party!"

I opened my eyes to his handsome, all-too-familiar face.

My heart didn't flutter. I shoved him away forcefully, instinctively pulling my nightgown tighter around me.

"I wasn't feeling well. I had an allergic reaction to peanuts."

Yates pulled me onto his lap, his hand sliding up under the hem of my nightgown.

I was deeply uncomfortable and pressed down on his wandering hand, but it was useless.

"No, I'm tired."

"But Aveline, why am I always so insatiable with you? I just want you tonight…"

His flirtatious whispers were lost as he pressed urgent kisses against my neck.

A single question burned in my mind. For three years, every time he was with me, was he thinking of her? Was he picturing Cora?

"If that's the case, will you stay the night?"

He stilled, looking at me with an uneasy expression.

"But I have a board meeting early tomorrow morning. Aveline, you wouldn't want me to be exhausted, would you?"

Really?

Or was it because he had to be ready to run the second his precious Cora called?

My heart sank. I pushed him off me and curled back under the covers.

"Then you should leave."

I squeezed my eyes shut, holding back the tears that burned behind them.

Yates leaned down, wrapping his arms around me.

"Aveline, are you angry? Tonight I…"

He was interrupted by a delicate, classical ringtone—a custom ringtone I’d never heard him use for anyone else.

He immediately grabbed his phone and strode out of my room.

"Yes, okay. Don't panic, I'll be right there."

I heard the soft, comforting tone he used for whoever was crying on the other end of the line.

"Aveline, Cora is having a sudden anxiety attack. I have to go now. Take care of yourself."

I waited until I heard the apartment door slam shut. Then the dam broke, and sobs wracked my body.

A custom ringtone. On call, 24/7. It wasn't that he was thoughtless. It was that every single one of his thoughts was reserved for her.

In a daze, I cried myself to sleep.

When I woke up, I found it hard to breathe, my allergic reaction having worsened unexpectedly.

I tried to make my way downstairs but stumbled, tumbling down the stairs and severely spraining my ankle.

"Aveline! What happened? Come on, I'll take you to the ER!"

When Yates let himself in with his key, he found me in a miserable heap on the floor. Alarm widened his eyes as he scooped me into his arms and rushed me to his car.

I endured the radiating pain, tears of agony streaming down my face.

"It hurts."

"Hang in there, we'll be at the hospital soon!"

Yates comforted me softly, but just then, Cora's exclusive ringtone rang again.

A choked sob came through the phone. "Yates, I just need someone with me…"

"What? Stay right there, don't move. I'm coming right now!"

Yates panicked, but after glancing at my form in the back seat, he pursed his lips and parked the car in front of a community clinic.

"Aveline, you go in and get checked out. The doctor will help you. Cora's situation is urgent."

With that, he roughly helped me, breathless and with a throbbing ankle, out of the car, then sped off without a second glance.