The Weekends He Never Gave Me Chapter 05

The Weekends He Never Gave Me Chapter 05

I woke up to the doorbell at seven that Saturday morning. I checked the door cam: Dario was standing outside, takeout bags in hand.

I didn’t unlock the door.

Minutes later, my phone rang. “Open up if you’re awake.”

“What do you need?”

Dario paused. “It’s Saturday. I came to spend the day with you.”

He said it slowly, as if offering some precious gift I’d once desperately craved.

I leaned against the door. “I’m busy today.”

He pushed. “You kept begging me to come over on weekends before.”

“That was before.”

Silence stretched. Eventually Dario asked, “Where are you going?!

“A baking class with friends.”

“What time will you be back?”

“I’m not sure.’

“I’ll drive you.”

“No, thanks.” I hung up.

When I stepped out at ten o’clock, he was still there. The breakfast had gone cold.

Dario leaned against the wall scrolling on his phone, and straightened immediately when he spotted me.

“Took you long enough.” That familiar snarky tone was back.

I locked my front door and faced him. “Why haven’t you left?”

“I told you I’m spending the day with you.”

I sighed. “Dario, we broke up.”

“I never agreed to that.”

A faint, weary laugh escaped me. “You made all the rules when we started dating. Now it’s my turn

to set them as we end things.”

His expression darkened. “Do you really have to be this harsh?”

I didn’t answer. He followed me all the way down to the sidewalk.

Noemi pulled up and honked twice when she spotted Dario. “Well, look who showed up. The limited-edition weekend boyfriend.”

Dario scowled. “Cut the sarcasm.”

Noemi smiled. “I wouldn’t dare. Your weekend time is so precious; every second is sacred

freedom.”

I climbed into Noemi’s car. Dario grabbed the car door before it shut.

“Livia.” His gaze locked onto mine. “I’ll wait for you tonight.”

“Don’t bother.”

“I said I’ll wait.”

“Suit yourself.”

I shut the door.

I got home at ten that night and found Dario still there.

I couldn’t tell whether he’d left and come back at some point. His car was parked in the exact same

spot as that morning. The cold breakfast had been replaced with dinner containers.

He held out a takeout box as I walked past him. “Lobster ravioli, your favorite.”

“I already ate.”

“Save it for tomorrow morning.”

“It’ll go bad.”

Dario’s shoulders slumped slightly. “Then I’ll order fresh ones first thing tomorrow.”

I finally looked up at him. Dark circles hung under his eyes; he looked like he hadn’t slept all day.

Once, seeing him like this would have melted my resolve instantly. Now all I felt was exhaustion.

“Dario, don’t try to make up for it.”

“Make up for what?”

“The things I used to crave from you.” I told him plainly. “They expired a long time ago.”

His lips pressed into a thin line.

I turned and walked toward the building entrance.

Just before the elevator doors slid shut, he stuck his hand in to stop them. “Livia, what do I have to do to make this right?”

I thought it over. “I’m not angry anymore.”

He clearly didn’t believe me. “Then why are you treating me like this?”

I stared back calmly. “Being nice takes effort. I’m not angry-I just have nothing left to give.”

The doors slid closed again. In the split second before they closed, I saw Dario standing alone outside. The ravioli box crumpled in his clenched fist.

I opened my door the next morning. No food sat outside, only a cup of coffee.

A note stuck to the cup read: This doesn’t count as weekend time. It’s something I owe you.

I stared at the note for a few seconds, then picked up the mug, carried it downstairs, and tossed it right into the trash.