Page 9 of Say You'll Stay

She turns to walk away, but I reach out, my fingers closing around her wrist. “Cara, wait. Please.”

She pauses, her back to me, her shoulders tense. “What do you want from me, June?”

I swallow past the lump in my throat, my voice rough with emotion. “I want another chance, Cara. I want to make things right between us. I want to be the man you deserve.”

She turns to face me, her eyes searching mine. For a moment, I think I see a flicker of something in their depths - hope, maybe. Or longing. But then it’s gone, replaced by a steely resolve.

“I’m sorry, June. But I can’t give you what you want. Not anymore. Besides, don’t you have a new girlfriend now?”

She pulls her wrist from my grasp, her touch lingering for a moment before she steps back, putting distance between us.

“Goodbye, June.”

And then she’s gone, walking away from me, back to the man who has taken my place at her side. I watch her go, my heart breaking with every step she takes.

I don’t know how long I stand there, staring at the space where she once stood. Minutes, hours, it all blends together in a haze of pain and regret. Eventually, I feel a hand on my arm, gentle but insistent.

“June? Are you okay?”

She leaves with a grace that makes my heart clench, her companion following, a hand lightly touching her back - a casual gesture that sends waves of anger and hurt crashing through me.

Cara’s words echo in my mind, a mantra of missed chances and miscommunications. I’m spiraling, caught in a vortex of what-ifs and could-have-beens. The memories…our history, clash violently with the present, a chaotic symphony of emotions that leaves me staggering under its weight.

I turn to see Amethyst standing beside me, her eyes wide with concern. I shake my head, unable to form words past the lump in my throat.

“Come on,” she says, her voice soft and coaxing. “Let’s get out of here.”

I let her lead me out of the restaurant, my feet moving on autopilot. As we step out into the night, the cool air hits me like a slap in the face, jolting me out of my stupor.

“Amethyst, I’m sorry,” I say, my voice rough and raw. “I shouldn’t have left you like that.”

She shakes her head, her hand tightening on my arm. “It’s okay, June. I understand.”

But she doesn’t understand. She can’t. Because she doesn’t know the truth about Cara, about the history we share, about the love that still burns in my heart, even now, even after everything.

As we walk down the street, the city lights blurring together in a haze of neon and shadow, I feel like I’m walking through a dream. A nightmare, really. One where the woman I love is gone, and I’m left with nothing but the bitter taste of regret and the knowledge that I have no one to blame but myself.

I glance over at Amethyst, her profile outlined in the glow of the streetlights. She’s beautiful, in a cold, untouchable way. The kind of beauty that belongs on a pedestal, not in the messy, imperfect reality of life.

And that’s the problem, really. Amethyst is a dream, a fantasy. But Cara? Cara is real. She’s flesh and blood and laughter and tears. She’s the one who knows me, really knows me, in a way that no one else ever has.

And I let her go. I pushed her away with my secrets and my lies, with my inability to let her in, to trust her with the truth of who I am.

As we walk, the city lights fading into the distance, I make a silent vow to myself. I will find a way to win Cara back. I will earn her trust, and her forgiveness. I will be the man she deserves, the man I know I can be.

But first, I need to uncover the truth about the man who has taken my place. I need to know who he is. What he means to Cara…I need to understand what I’m up against.

And then, I will fight for her. I will fight for us. Because in the end, that’s all that matters. Cara is all that matters.

And I will do whatever it takes to make her mine again.

Chapter five

I step into the backyard, and it almost feels like Mother Nature herself is playing with my head too; the sun is scorching hot against my skin, yet the air is heavy with the scent of incoming rain here in my little garden - my new haven and prison all in one.

It’s my favorite blend of floral sweetness and earthy undertones, but even now it does little to soothe the restless energy thrumming through my veins. The hibiscus, with its vibrant blooms, stands tall and proud, while the bamboo, stoic and serene, weaves a lattice of shadows beneath its delicate leaves.

But I can’t indulge in their beauty, not today. Even here, in this riot of color, a canvas splashed with vibrant hues, I pray will ease the dullness that seems to have seeped into my very bones in my isolation. This is my new kingdom, a tiny patch of green that now serves as my refuge.

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