く
“Uncle Caleb has some summer homework
for you.”
When he came back, I had just yelled at Chet.
Caleb saw Chet reaching for my soup, and
swooped in.
“Caleb, what do you think you’re doing?” Chet
glared at him.
Caleb was expressionless.
“This soup will make your tail shrink.”
“WHAT!”
16
The next time I saw Liam, it was in a meeting
く
He was a client now.
I didn’t want charity.
But if I earned it, I wouldn’t turn it down.
Liam was professional, no flaws.
It was Chet that was giving me trouble,
hanging out in my office all the time.
I couldn’t get rid of him, he was related to my
business partner.
Half–British, still a kid, and totally spoiled.
Every time he interrupted a meeting between
Liam and I, I snapped.
with emotion.
“I won’t do it again.”
And after that, he was quiet for a few days.
He also stopped wearing his leather jacket,
and started wearing suits.
He’d gel his hair, and he actually looked
mature.
Kids looked so different when they tried.
Chet slammed the contract on the table.
“I’m not a kid!
“I’m all grown up!”
く
He was working now, wanting to form a
business partnership with me.
But during work, he was sleepy and hungry.
He went straight into defense mode when
anything had to do with Liam.
I was concerned, but I tried not to think about
it too much.
Until our deal celebration.
Liam raised his glass, his eyes serious.
“Jane, we’re still just as compatible as
before.”
“We were perfect for each other.”
Г
Before he could say anything else, the lights.
went down, and a soft song started playing.
When they came back on, Chet was coming
towards me with a bouquet of roses.
He knelt in front of me, holding out a ring.
“Jane, will you marry me?”
I pulled him up.
“What’s wrong with you?
“I’m eleven years older than you!”
Chet held my hand.
“Do you think I’m too young?
く
“I’m a grown up! I can be mature too.”
I sighed and moved his hands away.
“You don’t have to change for me.
“I only think of you as my kid brother.”
Chet looked down for a moment, before
looking up.
“Then get used to thinking of me as a lover.”
Before I could reply, Caleb put his coat
around my shoulders and escorted me away.
When I got back to my place, I felt relieved.
Caleb made me some tea and started
Caleb made me some tea and started
massaging my temples.
“Thank you.”
“It’s part of my job.”
My partner called.
I took a deep breath before answering.
“You and that kid!”
“Don’t make fun of me, I’m going crazy.”
“Chet’s half–British, six–two, a few hundred
million in the bank, he’s just too good for
you!”
“He’s a kid, he’s way too young!”
L
And that’s when Chet came on the line.
“I’m not a kid!
“Jane, I really, really like you!”
Chet’s mom interrupted.
“He’s nineteen, and in other countries he can.
get married. If you’re worried about his
family, they don’t care as long as Chet is
happy. Even if you’re a bad girl, his family is
more than able to cover his bases.”
17
Thirty is the perfect age to take charge!
I rejected Chet.
Г
But he wouldn’t give up, and spent most of his time at the office, competing with Liam.
I did what I could to avoid them both, asking
Caleb to deal with them.
Caleb always managed things, and I was
finally able to have some peace.
But things didn’t stay good for long.
Liam got drunk, and was screaming at my
door.
“Jane! What do I have to do to get you to
forgive me!
“I’ll give you everything, come home with me,
please?”
Г
“Your garbage is too dirty for the trash!”
“Jane, I’m all yours, and I’m clean!”
I massaged my temples, ripping the mask off
my face.
I called Chet’s family to come get him.
Outside, they were still fighting.
Liam didn’t see Chet as a threat.
But he was wary of Caleb.
He didn’t think that Jane would be into the
immature Chet.
He was more mature, and way more
L
Liam scoffed, and Chet lost it.
“Old man! You’re ancient!”
Liam, who had been poked, lost his mind.
“I was in love with Jane for ten years, and we
even had a baby.”
He froze for a moment.
That was all he had, and now he was showing
how desperate he was.
“But she didn’t stay with you! How pathetic!”
Chet mocked him, and pushed him, until he
fell.
く
When I opened the door, Chet’s family had
just arrived.
I had never seen Liam look so lost.
He looked so hurt as he stared at me.
“Jane, do you know?
“For three years, I’ve been dreaming.
“I see our kid crying, and he’s asking me why
I didn’t want him.
“My heart feels like it’s being ripped apart.
“I’m sorry, Jane, I’m so sorry for everything…”
Liam covered his face with one hand, as tears
ملمحطم منطس
く
I sighed. “Go home. And don’t come back. We
can’t go back.”
Looking at the man who used to be so full of
pride, now had a few gray hairs on his head, I
felt pity.
It was time to move on.
Liam dropped to his knees and grabbed my
shirt.
“Please, let me try again.
“I’m never going to be happy without you,
please forgive me.”
I didn’t look back.
Silence was my answer.
<
I had fallen down in the same place before,
and that was enough.
What’s done is done, but the future is still
ahead of me.
18
Under the streetlights, Liam couldn’t stop the
emotions anymore.
He curled into a ball, as tears ran down his
face.
He could only watch her leave.
Jane never looked back.
He used to think that separation was the
<
worst.
But being close, and still so far, that was the
worst kind of torture.
She was the gold he’d found years ago.
But now, she was no longer his, and he’d lost
her completely.
In a corner, Jane still shined, still doing
amazing things.
He had to accept that Jane was fine without
him.
He was the only one who was still stuck in the
past.
(The End)
