I Stopped Waiting for the Man I Loved for Ten Years Who Never Stood by Me Chapter 09

I Stopped Waiting for the Man I Loved for Ten Years Who Never Stood by Me Chapter 09

Over the past few years, my dad had adjusted to the prosthetic leg, but he was still limited in what he could do.

He couldn’t do the work he’d been good at anymore.

In front of my mom and me, he said he was fine. But in private, he’d lie in the yard on his lounge chair, staring at his stump.

I think he was having a hard time letting go.

Truth was, so was I.

My parents had asked me so many times when Dylan and I planned to get married.

The longer I put it off, the more anxious they got.

They even suggested that if Dylan was just playing around and didn’t really want to marry me, I should come back to Springdale.

They only had one daughter. They wanted to be able to see me whenever they needed to.

I knew—they were afraid I’d get my heart broken and not be able to handle it.

But I didn’t listen. I didn’t break up with him. And I didn’t go home. I just toughed it out with Dylan for two more years. Trying to wait for him to grow up.

I only found out later that my dad had seen a video Dylan posted on Instagram.

At my thirtieth birthday party. Dylan played a prank—he put a bunch of live spiders inside my cake. The second I cut into it, spiders went crawling out everywhere. I almost cried from fear.

He and his friends laughed their heads off and filmed the whole thing for Instagram. Even though I grew up in Springdale, I’m terrified of spiders. I can grab a snake with my bare hands, but spiders? Absolutely not.

Dylan knew that. Because the first time he came to my house, he asked, “Wait, aren’t people from Springdale supposed to be cool with spiders?”

My dad told him, “Not our family. Paige is deathly afraid of them.”

“So you won’t find a single spider in any corner of this house.”

When my mom and I went to the grocery store, if we passed the stall selling spiders, she’d cover my eyes.

But even knowing that, Dylan purposely used spiders to scare me.

After my dad saw that video, he got worried that Dylan was mistreating me in Harbor City.

So he made his beef jerky, packed up a bunch of stuff, and came to see me.

That decision cost him a leg.

I will never forgive that.

Ten years of love, and now all that’s left is hatred.

The girl sighed. “Okay. I’m still jealous that Dylan’s always loved you.”

“I’m his friend’s little sister. When I graduated college, my brother couldn’t pick me up, so he asked Dylan to come get me.”

“When I got in the car, the song you played last night was on the radio.”

She smiled a little. “I fell for him right away.”

“How could there be a guy so sweet and thoughtful, so good-looking, who sings so well?”

“The only problem is… He doesn’t love me.”

I didn’t say anything else.

I quietly finished cleaning the yard and turned to leave.

As soon as I turned the corner, I ran into Dylan coming back from wherever he’d gone.

He blocked my way. “Paige.”

He said each word clearly. “Long time no see.

“Three years, and you haven’t changed at all. Neither have I.

“I’m still in love with you.”

Who cares?

I just found him annoying and loud. “Get out of my way.”

I walked around him.

He followed, explaining.

“She’s just my friend’s little sister. She insisted on coming when she found out I was visiting Springdale.

“He asked me to keep an eye on her. There’s nothing going on between us.

“I haven’t loved anyone else these past three years.”

I was already far away, his voice getting quieter.

“Paige, I’ve always loved you.”

I went home.

My parents were both there. I tried to look calm before I walked in.

My mom was making dinner in the kitchen. My dad was standing next to her, helping with the vegetables. I was fanning myself by the door when a knock came.

I had a bad feeling. I told my parents to stay put and said I’d get it. I opened the door. Of course it was Dylan.

He was holding a gift bag.

“I came to see your dad,” he said.

I rolled my eyes. “Take your stuff and get out.”

His smile was strained. “I’ve never been able to let this go, in three years.”

“Even if you want me to move on, at least let me see him one last time.”

I didn’t have the energy to deal with it.

Then I heard my dad’s voice behind me. “Let him in.”

I hesitated, then reluctantly stepped aside.

Dylan walked in with his bag.

As soon as he was inside, my dad said, “You can leave the gifts. Sit down. I have a couple things to say to you.”

My mom brought him a cup of tea.

He thanked her and then looked at my dad.

My dad spoke seriously. “For three years, I’ve had one regret.

“I regret not kicking you out the first time Paige brought you home when she was twenty.

“I regret not putting a stop to it when you strung my daughter along for ten years and wouldn’t marry her.

“When I saw that video of you scaring her with spiders, I wanted to kill you. You were never good enough for my daughter!”

Every word landed hard.

Dylan’s lips went white. He opened his mouth, but all that came out was, “I’m sorry.”

My dad waved his hand. “Get out. Take your stuff and get out. Don’t ever show up in front of Paige again.”

Dylan left, looking broken. He almost ran out the door.

He left everything behind.

Watching his lonely back, I ran after him. “Dylan!”

He stopped in his tracks and spun around to look at me.

I held out my hand. “Give it back.”

“The ring.”

The ring that carried ten years of my love.

He didn’t deserve it.