I Stopped Chasing Him After Eight Years

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4

The man I'd cut off looked up, irritation all over his face.

He was about to say something when the couple's ringtone cut through the room.

Samuel didn't even think. He backed out of the game and picked up.

Eight years as his girlfriend, and I'd never once seen him look this tense.

As for that couple's ringtone, back in school I'd begged and coaxed for it for the longest time, and he'd always dragged his feet, calling it childish.

Yet now, for Hope, he'd changed it without a second thought.

On the other end, Hope's voice was on the edge of tears. "Samuel, my mom fell, she wants me to come home right away, but the holiday crowds are insane and I've got so much luggage, I can't carry it all alone, I really don't know what to do!"

"Hope, don't panic, I'm on my way. Leave the bags, don't touch them, I'll carry everything when I get there!"

He hung up and sprang off the couch.

Muttering the whole time.

"Something's happened at Hope's place. I can't leave her to handle it alone. You head back first tomorrow. Once I've seen her home safe, I'll come meet up with you."

The words came fast, his feet already moving.

As he passed me, his shoulder caught mine and knocked me hard to the floor.

My forehead struck the coffee table, blood running down my face, blurring my sight.

I called after him before I could stop myself.

"Samuel!"

But he didn't even turn his head, just tossed back one line as he rushed out.

"Whatever it is, we'll talk when I'm back!"

Wait again.

Eight years. I'd waited enough.

The door closed, and I calmly went back to packing, only then realizing how few of the things here were actually mine.

Eight years together, and Samuel had never given me a single decent thing. All I ever got was promise after promise, day after day.

Just as well. It made packing easy.

The gifts I'd prepared for Samuel were useless now, so I boxed them all up and gave them to my neighbor Paulette Chavez, who'd always looked out for me.

Paulette seemed to understand everything. She took my hand, her eyes full of ache for me.

"Renee, sweetheart, I've seen every bit of what you've swallowed. You came all this way alone, far from home, thinking he'd treat you right, and who could have known... ah, never mind, never mind. I'll take these, and from now on you live for yourself."

Tears in my eyes, I nodded hard.

I took one last look at the place I'd lived for six years, then lowered my head and stared at the hair tie on my wrist.

Samuel had given it to me himself, the day he agreed to be with me.

He'd said I was like a star, that I made him feel steady and safe.

I'd treasured it, worn it on my wrist every single day, never taking it off.

I slipped it off and dropped it into the trash.

His cheap love. I didn't want it anymore.