Page 28 of Broken Bonds

Lionel points across the pool. The construction is simple and follows the same design as the rest of the house, a roof supported by gray wooden pillars with white molding.

“Thank you,” I really mean it, it’s a nice touch.

Again, I’m surprised at how much Lionel has changed these past few days. On the outside, he looks the same, still as attractive as a tattooed devil, however, his behavior is so different. The way he moves his hands, the way he looks at me, and talks to me. The way he smiles at me.

This is messing with my head. With my heart too.

People aren’t like stereos where you can just hit skip to the next song, how can someone change so much overnight?

Despite my questions, I really like this switch.

It’s easy to talk to this Lionel. He talks less and listens more. He pays attention to the things I say to him, making me feel understood.

“When are you planning on taking the SATs?” There he goes again, another question that catches me off guard.

“I don’t know.” That’s the truth. “I have to check online for the calendar, but sometimes my phone freezes. If I had brought my laptop, it would have been easier. I still have time to figure it out. The real question is where am I going to take it, here or back home?”

Home, I don’t even know where that is anymore.

“I thought we’d decided you would stay.” His posture is relaxed, leaning against the chair, and his legs stretched out before him, but he doesn’t fool me, his intense gaze is looking for answers. Not by my words, but inside me.

Danger, screams a voice inside my head.

“Lionel, we agreed that we were going to try and fix this,” I correct him, pointing between us. “And I don’t know if that’s possible.”

That statement left a bitter taste in my mouth, I’m not one to give up so easily. A marriage is between two people, so the decision can’t just be mine.

“Why are you still wearing the band on your finger?” he asks, raising his eyebrows.

“Because it’s the symbol of a promise I made, Lionel, maybe it doesn’t mean anything to you. But I promised to love, respect, and honor you every day of my life.”

The asshole has the audacity to smile, knowing he just made a point.

“And all I’m asking is for you to honor that promise.”

Lionel might be an excellent architect, but I’m sure he’d make an even better lawyer.

“I think you’ve lost the right to demand that those promises be kept when you were the one who broke them. You broke the bonds keeping us together.”

Lionel lets out a defeated sigh, closes his eyes, and gets ready. I know he’s preparing a good counterargument.

“I’m not demanding anything from you,” he whispers. Although his voice is low, the power behind those words doesn’t go unnoticed. “I’ve asked, which is different, and may I remind you, you already agreed to stay.”

“I also told you, I would try.”

“Then try,” he insists. “But really try.”

Again a request that goes straight to my soul, like an arrow.

“At the end, I’ll choose what to do. I’m tired of always giving in to make you happy.”

We are both silent, dinner has been forgotten, like the sun that has set on the horizon.

“I asked you to try because I want a clean slate, Stella,” he declares. “I want you to forgive and forget what I said or did in the past. Close your eyes for a moment and tell me what you want, what you expect, where you want to go from here.”

And I do just that. I close my eyes and think about my hopes, my dreams, and the goals I’ve set for myself.

“I want to be different,” is my sincere response. “I want to be more than the expectations of others.”

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