The Weekends He Never Gave Me Chapter 04

The Weekends He Never Gave Me Chapter 04

Dario noticed the shift the very next day.

At 9:05 a.m., he texted me: [Where’s my coffee?]

No matter what time I got in, I always picked up his coffee first thing. I even knew exactly what

roast suited his sensitive stomach.

I didn’t reply.

“Livia.”

I was revising a proposal. “Mm?”

“My coffee?”

“The café downstairs sells it.”

He remained planted beside my desk. “You didn’t get it?”

“I forgot.”

Dario studied my face closely.

He leaned down, bringing his face inches from mine, still wearing that lazy smile. “You’re still this

upset?”

“It was just a graduation trip. Something terrible happened to her family the year she graduated, and her original trip got canceled. I promised a long time ago I’d make it up to her.”

“Okay.”

“What’s that okay supposed to mean?”

“I heard you.”

Dario hated this side of me. No screaming, no accusations, no jealous outbursts. He might as well have been punching air.

At lunchtime, he booked a table at my favorite restaurant.

That afternoon, a bracelet was delivered to my desk.

I sent both back to him.

After work, he cornered me by the elevators. “Livia, what exactly do you want from me?”

i looked straight at him. “Nothing.”

“Then what is this silent treatment about?”

“I’m not making a scene.

Dario let out an exasperated laugh. “Fine. Are you waiting for me to say I’ll spend weekends with you from now on?”

I stayed quiet.

He acted like he’d cracked the code. “Alright. I’ll do it.”

He pinched my cheek. “This Saturday is yours. Happy now?”

For years I’d begged for this, and now he handed it over so casually, like a trivial favor.

Strangely, I felt no joy.

“I already have plans for Saturday.”

Dario’s smile faded. “Cancel them. Weren’t you the one begging for

My tone turned cold. “I don’t want it anymore.”

The elevator arrived. I stepped inside.

my

time?”

Dario followed and pressed his palm against the closing doors. “Enough, Livia.”

I lifted my gaze to his. “Dario, we’re breaking up.”

His expression twisted, first stunned, then amused. “Over four weekends? The hospital incident? Or the birthday dinner when I didn’t show?”

He counted off each grievance on his fingers.

He knew every single thing that hurt me. He understood exactly why I was hurt. He’d just never thought any of it was worth changing his rules for.

“All of it,” I said. “And none of it, too.”

The smile melted completely from Dario’s face. “What are you talking about?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Then don’t say we’re over.” He pressed the button for the ground floor. “I’ll come over to your place tonight. I’ll cook for you. We’ll put all this behind us.”

A memory drifted back to our early dating days.

We’d stood in this same elevator once, and he’d slipped his hand into mine in secret. My palms had sweated nervously.

He laughed at me. “We can’t be seen together at the office. But holding hands for a minute in the

elevator doesn’t count.”

Back then, a brush of fingertips alone made me glow for days. Now, even standing so close beside him, all I craved was distance.

That evening, Dario actually showed up at my apartment.

He used to know the passcode. But he tried entering it twice, only to get an error each time.

I’d changed the lock.

He called me from the doorway. “Open up.”

I opened the door just a crack.

Dario’s gaze dropped to a cardboard box sitting by the threshold, and his brow furrowed.

Inside lay his game console, electric razor, slippers and several pajama tops. A set of keys rested on

top.

On weekdays he sometimes stayed overnight, leaving belongings scattered at my place. By midnight on Friday, though, he always left without fail.

“What is this?”

“Your things.”

He refused to take the box. “Livia, this has gone far enough.”

I held out a bank card as well. “And this.”

He stared in confusion. “What’s this?”

I listed everything calmly.

“I transferred half the remaining balance from our joint account onto this card.”

“I removed my card from your gym membership.”

“There’s more of your stuff in the locker downstairs; I’ll have it delivered tomorrow.”

“I sent Lucia the pharmacy number for her prescriptions too.”

Dario’s irritation finally dissolved. “Livia.”

Instead of taking the card, he reached out to pull me into his arms.

It was instinctive for me. The moment his fingers touched my waist, I stepped backward, taking just

a small step back.

Dario froze. Neither of us spoke.

It seemed to finally dawn on him.

No matter how bitter our fights used to be, I always walked into his embrace the second he opened his arms. Even if I said I couldn’t forgive him, my body gravitated toward him.

This time, I pulled away.

Dario studied me for a very long time. His Adam’s apple bobbed slowly.

“Livia.” For the first time, his voice turned rough. “Have you… really fallen out of love with me?”

I met his eyes. “Yes.”

His hand hovered in mid-air. It stayed there for a long moment before dropping to his side.