Page 24 of Waiting Game

“Like what, Mum? What did I do now?”

“I’m so sorry, Lorenzo,” she turned to him, ignoring the fact that I was standing there.

“Why are you apologising to him?” I slurred, pointing towards his chest.

“Come on,” Ren said, pulling me away before the argument got too heated.

He had witnessed many of our fights growing up, and he knew the temper that I had. I was never one to back down from an argument.

For good or ill I would always stand up for myself - I had no choice.

Nobody else would do it for me.

He pulled me away from the crowd, into the corner and brushed a strand of hair from my face.

“Don’t, Ren,” I snapped, pushing him out of the way and running out of the hall.

I didn’t stop running until I was out of the hotel, and on the street.

It was pouring rain, and I stood on the sidewalk, looking up to the sky. The droplets pounded hard against my face, and I put a hand over my chest in an attempt to calm myself.

The cold was welcomed, and the dreary sky matched my mood.

Cars sped past on the street in front of me, showering me as they drove through the deep puddles forming in the potholes of the road. Though my heart was still rattling, I felt the weight lift as soon as I left that crowded room.

All day and night I had been pretending that I didn’t notice the whispers, or the disapproving glances. I smiled and nodded, and made conversation with those who took pity on me. I dodged questions about my new life, and agreed when people told me how lucky I was to have the family that I did.

I was just glad that it was over.

But I didn’t expect that I would react the way that I did when I saw Ren again.

Foolishly, I thought that I would be able to handle it - but I was wrong.

The feeling of his hands on my body was something that I didn’t realise that I had missed, and something that I didn’t realise was so deeply burned into my memory.

“Why did you just leave?” I heard a voice from behind me, “why did you leave without even saying goodbye?”

I swallowed a lump in my throat and spun around.

The rain was getting heavier, and yet neither of us moved. His shirt was near see through from being so soaked, and his usually bouncy hair was laid flat against his head.

I threw my hands into the air, “you knew exactly what I was planning. You knew exactly how I felt. Don’t act like I ever kept it a secret from you.”

He nodded slowly, looking straight at me.

“You weren’t good for me, Ren.”

“Not good for you?” he laughed before his jaw hardened.

Ren stormed down the stairs of the entrance of the hotel and stood in front of me, his eyes searching mine.

“…or not good enough?”

“Please,” I rolled my eyes, “you know it wasn’t like that at all. A whole year, Ren. I watched you for a whole year, falling deeper and deeper into this fucking life. I saw it becoming a part of you, and of Antoni. Do you think that was easy for me? Do you think I fucking enjoyed watching the man I loved turn into everything that I hated?”

He shook his head, “you never asked me not to join, Val.”

“And you never asked me to stay.”

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