That was how the last three years had gone, and the two of them had long since grown used to it.
But not this time.
I, Elaine Fox, was done being anyone's shadow.
After dinner at my parents' place, I went to my room early to lie down.
But I tossed and turned and couldn't sleep, and then my phone buzzed.
It was Raymond.
"I rebooked my flight."
"I'll land tonight."
"Where are you right now? I'll come get you."
I shot upright.
Wasn't it supposed to take two days? How was he coming back this fast?
"I'm at my parents' place."
"Then wait for me there. Don't go anywhere."
"I'll be there as soon as I can."
I hung up, walked to the window, and pushed it open.
The night air drifted in, cool.
The sycamore leaves along the street rustled.
Sure enough, a few minutes later a black car pulled up.
Raymond stepped out in a sharp suit, tall and straight-backed.
"Come down."
He texted me.
At the same moment, a message from Tyler popped up too.
"Isabel and I got a big dinner out tonight, so I won't be home for supper."
"Don't wait up. Eat without me."
I let out a scoff and didn't answer.
In my slippers, still in my pajamas, I ran downstairs.
"Raymond. I didn't think you'd get here so quickly."
Seeing me in my thin pajamas, Raymond frowned and swiftly shrugged off his suit jacket, draping
it over my shoulders.
"I didn't get to ask on the phone."
"You and Tyler seemed to be doing fine. How does it go from that to breaking up just like that?"
Raymond was my childhood sweetheart, and in my parents' eyes the future son-in-law who checked every box.
But in college I'd been wildly infatuated with Tyler.
It had taken everything I had to win over Tyler, that untouchable prize.
And now I regretted it.
"Whatever the reason, I've broken up with him."
"Raymond, didn't you say it yourself once? If no other man would have me, you'd marry me."
"So I'm asking you—right now, will you still marry me?"
Raymond stared straight at me for two seconds, then let out a low laugh and took my hand.
"I will."
"Come on. Get in."
He opened the car door for me himself, and I was completely at a loss.
"Where are we going?"
"Your stomach was growling a second ago. You didn't get enough at dinner, did you?"
Raymond gave a knowing little smile.
"I'm taking you to the food stalls."
I pressed a hand to my stomach. I'd been too busy talking to notice it growling, and he'd caught even that small thing.
Yet after all these years together,
Tyler had never once put this much care into me.
The whole way down the row of stalls, Raymond ate almost ravenously. I looked at him, surprised.
"Have you not eaten all day?"
He nodded.
"I was in a hurry to get back and see who'd upset my fiancée this badly."
I was on the verge of laughing when a video from Isabel suddenly popped up on my phone.
"Elaine, look how good your boyfriend is to you. He made you apology pastries with his own hands."
"Seeing how hard he's trying to make it right,"
"just forgive him."
Looking at that message and that voice note come through,
my heart went cold inch by inch, all the way to the bottom.
After years as best friends,
Isabel of all people knew exactly what I liked.
Yet she couldn't even see that those apology pastries were the ones she loved, not me.
I'd eaten them once and run straight to the toilet to throw them up.
