Page 10 of The Devil's Canvas

I grip the phone tighter. "It wasn’t sudden."

"Yes, it was," she says. "One day, you and Dominic were planning your life together, and the next, he was with her. And now they’re about to get married."

I press my lips together, refusing to respond. Because I know she’s right.

One day, Dominic told me he loved me. That he saw a future with me. That I was it for him. And after that… I wasn’t.

I wanted to love him the way he needed me to. I did love him. But I couldn’tshowhim. I couldn’t express it, not the way normal people did. Not the way Melanie could.

I remember the way he looked at me the night it ended. How exhausted he seemed. How hurt.

"You don’t love me."

"That’s not true."

"Show me."

I couldn’t.

Melanie could.

"You never talk about it," Bella says after a beat. "Not once. Not even when it happened."

"Because there’s nothing to talk about."

"Lia—"

"It wasn’t some big betrayal," I cut in. "We broke up because it wasn’t working. He and Melanie just… made sense."

Bella scoffs. "Melanie doesn’t ‘make sense’ with anyone but herself."

I don’t argue.

"Did you love him?" Bella asks.

The words land like a weight in my chest.

I force myself to respond. "It doesn’t matter."

She’s quiet for a moment. "You did."

I don’t confirm it. I don’t have to.

"Do you still?" she asks softly.

I close my eyes. "Bella, let it go."

She sighs. "Fine."

A beat of silence. "Do you want to just call her now?"

"Might as well get it over with," I mutter.

The phone goes silent for a second before clicking.

"Finally," Melanie says, smooth, controlled, like she’s been waiting for this call. Not a greeting, just acknowledgement.

"Hey, Mellie," Bella says, voice dripping with fake sweetness.

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