“Fine. If you don’t want to go back, then we’re done. Don’t contact me again.”
But Corinne wasn’t about to let Keiran slip through her fingers. He was her gateway to the life she’d always dreamed of. After reaching the airport, she fired off another message to Claudette.
[This is all your fault. If it weren’t for you, we’d still be enjoying ourselves. Why do you keep haunting us like a shadow? You’re not young anymore; shouldn’t you stay home instead of following us around?]
So, Keiran was still terrified of Claudette learning the truth. But if he feared her reaction so much, why had he betrayed her in the first place?
From the moment he boarded the plane until he touched down, he bombarded her with messages. Claudette couldn’t make sense of it. If he cared so much, how could he have cheated so casually? Did he love her? She wasn’t sure anymore. And yet, to say he didn’t love her felt off; everything about his anxious behavior screamed he feared being found out.
After all their years together, Claudette decided it was time to indulge herself for once. She ignored every call and every message and spent her days in Lexington Bay.
A figure stumbled toward her when she stepped inside, nearly knocking her off balance. Keiran, frantic and trembling, clung to her, breathing hard, murmuring her name the way he used to in their most intimate moments. A wave of nausea washed over her. She tried to break free, but he held on desperately, like a man searching for something he’d lost. When his fingers moved to unbutton her shirt, she shoved him back with all her strength.
He stared at her, eyes red and wide, frozen in disbelief. He looked worn, his stubbled face hollowed by dark circles and a clenched jaw. His hands trembled, balled into tight fists.
“What’s going on? Did something happen?” Claudette’s steady, cool voice only seemed to heighten his panic; she’d never spoken to him like this before.
“Are you upset with me? Tell me where you want to go, and I’ll take you, right? Please, don’t shut me out. I’ve been searching everywhere for you. You didn’t answer my calls, didn’t respond to my messages… You have no idea how worried I was,” he pleaded.
Claudette looked at the pitiful man in front of her, clinging to her like a lost child. She might have fallen for this act if she hadn’t seen the truth behind his facade.
“Oh, my apologies. After I posted on Facebook, I misplaced my phone. Someone found it and handed it to the hotel desk. When I got it back, I was rushing to make my flight. Besides, weren’t you busy with business? I figured I’d enjoy myself for once. I’m an adult; I can take care of myself.”
For days, Keiran hardly left Claudette’s side, skipping work entirely to stay close to her.
“Claudette, have you noticed anything missing around here?” he asked.
Following his eyes, Claudette shrugged. “I might’ve tossed a few things; they seemed pointless. Can’t quite remember.”
“True. Sometimes, the old things just lose their charm. It feels refreshing to replace them with something new.”
She had always seen Keiran as sentimental, but he was here craving change. So that was it, that was what led him to Corinne?
Claudette’s eyes fell on the calendar. Just five days left.
