He Promised To Be My Right Ear But Failed Chapter 04

He Promised To Be My Right Ear But Failed Chapter 04

I reached for the phone. Miles held it higher.

“Answer me.”

Blair leaned in to look, wide-eyed.

“Cancel the wedding? Audrey, you’re not serious, are you?”

I looked at Miles.

“Give me my phone back.”

He didn’t move.

“You’re canceling the wedding over a few little things?”

A few little things.

I heard myself laugh.

“Yes. Little things.”

Miles’s expression darkened.

“Audrey, don’t threaten me like this.”

“I’m not threatening you.”

“Then what are you doing?”

He set the phone on the coffee table, his fingers still pressed against the screen.

“Both our families know. The hotel’s booked, all those invitations are out, and you want to cancel now and make me look like a fool?”

My eyes drifted to the gardenia on Blair’s chest, and the fight went out of me.

“I won’t,” I said, my voice empty.

“You won’t be a joke.”

I should’ve seen it sooner.

It was never about whether I was hurting. It was about him keeping up appearances.

Blair tugged lightly at Miles’s sleeve.

“Miles, don’t be mad. She probably just wants you to baby her a little.”

Miles scoffed.

“Haven’t I done enough of that already?”

He looked at me, voice low.

“Audrey, when have you ever not been like this?”

“You can’t hear, so I have to repeat everything. You get upset, and I’m supposed to magically know why. Someone says one wrong thing and you’re ready to cry.”

“I used to think you needed me. Now I just feel tired.”

I stood there. My right ear was ringing.

Every word he said, I heard perfectly.

Blair chimed in, soft as ever.

“You know, Miles has it hard too. He’s been looking after you for years. You can’t expect him not to have any opinions about his own wedding.”

Miles didn’t deny it. My eyes found the white umbrella.

It was propped against the door, ribs still bent.

When he gave it to me, he promised I’d never have to stand in the rain alone.

I walked over and picked up the umbrella.

Miles frowned.

“You’re leaving again?”

I didn’t answer. I just held the umbrella out to him.

He didn’t take it.

I set the umbrella at his feet.

“It’s yours.”

Something shifted in Miles’s eyes.

“Audrey, are you serious?”

Blair reached down and picked up the umbrella.

“This thing’s pretty old, huh? The ribs are all busted.”

She popped it open, and the canopy sagged sharply to one side.

“No wonder Audrey doesn’t want it anymore.”

I went still.

“Put it down.”

Blair flinched. Her grip loosened, and the umbrella hit the floor.

The tip struck the base of the coffee table with a sharp crack.

Another rib snapped.

The only sound left in the room was the air conditioner.

Miles looked down at the umbrella. For the first time, his expression cracked.

But Blair was already tearing up before he could speak.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. Audrey, don’t look at me like that, you’re scaring me.”

Miles snapped out of it and stepped between us.

“Audrey, it’s just an old umbrella. It’s broken. I’ll get you a new one.”

I looked at him for a long time. Then I nodded.

“Okay.”

Somehow, that made him angrier.

“Don’t give me that attitude.”

I knelt down and started gathering the broken ribs, one by one.

A metal edge caught my fingertip. It stung.

Miles reached for me.

“Stop. You’re going to cut yourself.”

I pulled away.

“Don’t.”

Blair murmured from behind him.

“Miles, maybe I should go. I feel like Audrey really doesn’t want me here.”

Miles pressed his fingers to his temples.

“I’ll walk you down.”

He turned to me.

“Stay here and cool off. The wedding’s still happening, so drop it.”

I kept my head down and went on picking up the ribs.

At the door, he stopped.

“Audrey, I know you can’t leave me. When you come to your senses, call me.”

The door closed.

The apartment went completely still.

I put the broken umbrella in the trash bag, then picked up my phone from the coffee table.

There was one last message from the coordinator.

[Ten minutes left.]

I held down the voice-message button.

My voice was flat.

“Cancel it.”