He Came With a Ring. I Had a Fiancé Chapter 02

He Came With a Ring. I Had a Fiancé Chapter 02

“Dylan Walker, since you can’t even give me the courtesy of acting decently, we can skip the usual breakup formalities—”

“Ah!”

Claire’s terrified scream burst through the line, drowning out my words.

The call ended immediately.

Ten minutes later, Claire posted again.

Dylan’s tall frame was squeezed into her bathroom. He appeared to be washing something.

[Ugh, I got my period in the middle of the night and got my underwear all stained.]

[But someone said I shouldn’t have to deal with chores when I’m feeling unwell. He told me to leave it all to him. Now I can go back to sleep. Lucky me.]

I remembered him calling me dramatic the night before.

My heart felt pierced by a thousand needles, until even the pain went numb.

A year earlier, during a game, I’d asked Dylan and Claire whether they’d ever considered getting back together.

They’d exchanged disgusted looks and answered in unison.

“Never!”

“I’ll never forget the disgust on her face when she decided I wasn’t rich enough for her!” Dylan had snapped.

“Please! Like I’d want some emotionally clueless guy whose answer to everything is, ‘Drink some water!'” Claire had shot back.

They’d argued until they were both red in the face.

I’d felt reassured.

Later, Claire asked what I even liked about Dylan.

I’d been too embarrassed to admit I’d secretly loved him for six years before we ever got together, starting back in college.

I’d gotten into his favorite bands and followed their shows, and sat in the back of his painfully dull lectures just to be near him.

I’d even secretly added one of his roommates online to learn more about his interests.

Then his roommate told me Dylan already had a girlfriend. She just went to a different school.

I’d buried my feelings.

What I hadn’t expected was to find Dylan leading the very first project I worked on as an intern.

All those feelings I’d buried came rushing back.

I’d been too insecure to tell anyone about my college crush, including Claire.

And as far as Claire was concerned, Dylan barely even registered among her ex-boyfriends. She never bothered telling me their names.

I’d naively believed that even if they met again, nothing would come of it.

After sending Dylan the recipe instructions, I drifted off to sleep.

It was the following afternoon when I woke.

I told my landlord I was ending my lease, then called Mother.

“That guy you mentioned before? I can make time to meet him when I come home.”

She paused. She clearly wanted to ask something, but didn’t.

“Okay. When are you coming? Your Father and I will pick you up.”

Ever since Dylan had stood them up, my parents hadn’t liked him one bit.

I’d accused them of being biased against him.

I laughed bitterly at myself and forced myself up to start packing.

The matching handmade ceramic mugs Dylan had made for us two years earlier went in the trash.

I burned the photos of just the two of us, the ones he’d so carefully picked out.

I photographed the gifts he’d given me for birthdays and holidays and listed them on Facebook Marketplace.

Six years of loving him from afar. Three years together.

It was long past time to put an end to it.

“What are you doing?”

Dylan stood in the doorway, staring at the pile of discarded things.

I kept sorting my closet without looking up.

“Nothing. Getting rid of things I don’t need anymore.”

He stood there in silence for a long time before sighing.

“Do you really have to make such a big deal out of this?”

He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me, waving a brand-new umbrella with its tag still attached in front of my face.

“I checked the forecast. It’s supposed to rain for the next few days.”

“Don’t forget your umbrella again.”

Claire’s familiar perfume drifted off him.

It had never smelled so overpowering.

“Give it to Claire. She probably needs it more than I do.”

I pushed his arm away. The umbrella hit the floor with a clatter.

Dylan’s face darkened.

“Audrey Bennett! What’s with the attitude?”

“I never should’ve listened to Claire and come here!”