I Stopped Waiting for the Man I Loved for Ten Years Who Never Stood by Me Chapter 07

I Stopped Waiting for the Man I Loved for Ten Years Who Never Stood by Me Chapter 07

I started a new job.

Good resume, good work, everything went smoothly.

In three years, I saved two hundred thousand dollars.

That was fifty thousand more than the amount Dylan once said he needed to save before marrying me.

I heard from friends in Harbor City that Dylan had deleted all his social media accounts and was quietly writing songs for other people.

As for Tinsley, she pissed off the wrong person in their scene, got pregnant, and got dumped.

I laughed when I heard it and just told my friend we should grab dinner sometime.

I quit my job. It paid well. But it was too draining.

Between all the mandatory happy hours, I’d developed a mild stomach ulcer.

Every year, the new hires got more and more cutthroat.

I didn’t have the energy to compete anymore.

I went back to Springdale. Started planning to open a small inn by the lake. From prep to opening, it only took six months.

A little wooden cottage in a field by the water. I almost wanted to live in it myself.

I downloaded TikTok and other social apps. Taught myself to edit videos and make transitions. Started promoting my Spring Breeze Cottage.

Soon, all ten rooms were booked solid. Reservations went all the way to the end of the year.

Another Valentine’s Day came around. A guest texted me. [Hey, can we set up a small stage in your yard?]

[For Valentine’s Day, I want to sing for my crush and confess.]

I felt a little dazed, thinking about Dylan and me.

Years had passed, but the memory of him singing his confession to me was still crystal clear.

I said yes.

Whether she succeeded or not.

It would be a unique memory for her.

I designed it myself and hired someone to build it.

We finished before nightfall.

A small wooden pergola with lanterns hanging from it.

A few simple wooden stools.

A speaker and a microphone.

The girl who wanted to sing her confession was young, not very old.

She held the microphone, looking nervous.

The yard was full of guests.

She kept stalling.

Someone got impatient and called out, “Just sing already, what are you waiting for?”

The girl looked around the crowd and gave an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, the person I’m confessing to isn’t here yet. Just a little longer.”

I was sitting in the audience too.

Watching her, I thought of my younger self.

I couldn’t help smiling.

About ten minutes later, the girl’s eyes lit up.

A tall man walked over slowly. His long coat brushed the air as he passed. Finally, he sat down next to me.

The breeze was light. But when I caught his scent, my back went stiff. The lighting was dim. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his hand resting casually on his knee. On one finger, a white gold ring.

My mind flashed back five years. I’d asked Dylan to marry me several times, and he’d always said no.

A friend suggested a plan. Propose to him. In public. If the mood was romantic enough, it was sure to work. So I did it. I chose a music festival.

Everyone stands at those—no seats. Not like a concert where you block the people behind you. Besides, music festivals were our favorite thing to do together. So near the end of the festival, I pulled out the ring I’d prepared.

Got down on one knee in front of him. I still remember my voice shaking. “Dylan, I want to spend my life with you. Will you marry me?”

Because the festival was almost over, not many people noticed.

Just a few nearby voices.

“That’s so romantic!”

“So brave!”

“Be happy!”

But I didn’t hear “I do.”

He pulled me up. “Damn, Paige. You’re really making this awkward.”

He took my hand with the ring and put both of them into his pocket. My heart was still racing, but I numbly let him lead me away.

I didn’t get it. He’d confessed to me in front of everyone. Why was proposing at a music festival embarrassing? Later, I understood. He just didn’t want to marry me.