Page 56 of Dare to Fall

Drema let out a long exhale. “It sounds like that’s probably for the best. I’ll have my phone with me all day, so if anything happens, just call me, okay?”

“Okay.”

As I gathered my things to head out the door, nausea consumed me. It didn’t matter that what I was about to do was probably the best thing for my future. I was on my way to end a five-year relationship with the guy I thought I’d spend the rest of my life with. And I was going to tell him that I knew of his betrayal. It felt strange because even after all this time together, I couldn’t picture at all how he would react.

Connor was sitting on the park bench at the edge of the lake. It was the same bench we’d sat on so many times before. We often came to the lake to take breaks from studying and to spend some time outdoors. I would lay my head in his lap, and he would run his fingers through my hair as the day would go by before us.

There was a piece of me that missed those times—when everything felt okay and there wasn’t so much chaos. But I’d come to realize that just being okay wasn’t good enough for me anymore. I wanted so much more than that, and now it was time for me to take a step in a new direction—no matter how much it hurt.

As I approached the bench, Connor stood up. He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He looked older somehow, as though the stress of keeping his big secret was finally starting to wear on him. I was never one to wish harm onto others, but it felt like he deserved it. After all the sacrifices I’d made for him, he didn’t even have the decency to break things off before he got involved with someone else.

“Hey,” he said as he took me in for a quick hug. My stomach dropped at the memories of all the times he had held me. That was one thing I’d really loved about Connor. He always held me in his arms for as long as I wanted.

Or at least he used to.

We sat down on the bench, and I gazed out over the blue water. As the wind shifted, mist from the fountain blew over to us and coated my skin with droplets of water. It was refreshing in the mid-morning sun, and it helped to calm my racing heart.

“So, why did you want to meet here instead of going to brunch with everyone?” Connor tapped his foot anxiously on the ground.

“I know, Connor.” I slowly turned to face him. “I know about everything.”

He narrowed his gaze at me. Tiny wrinkles formed on the outside of his steel-blue eyes. “What are you talking about, Eva?”

“I know that you’re having an affair with your biostatistics professor.” I blinked back the hot tears that welled in my eyes. I didn’t want to cry. Not in front of him.

“Are you serious, Eva? Don’t be ridiculous.” Connor leaned back and looked at me with disgust.

Anger boiled under my skin. He was doing it again—making me look like a fool when he was the one who fucked up.

“Don’t try to deny it, Connor. I went to the lab yesterday to try and work out whatever the hell has been going on between us. And I saw you kissing her through the door window. I saw you kissing her!” My voice heightened as he shook his head and glared at me.

“We’re over, Connor,” I spat out without another thought.

His eyes grew wide, and his bottom lip started to tremble. “What? No, Eva. Please don’t do this.”

I took in a shaky breath and said, “You cheated on me, Connor. You’vebeencheating on me for God knows how long, and you expect me to stay with you? I’ve spent five fucking years doing everything you’ve wanted me to do. I changed how I dressed so I would fit in better with your friends. When your parents expected you to be with someone who was also pursuing medical school, I changed my dreams so they wouldn’t be disappointed in you. I’ve stood by you this entire time because I loved you. And you threw it all away for what? So you can get ahead in your research and have a well-known professor write you a letter of recommendation?” I sneered. “You betrayed me. You betrayedus. And I’m not going to stand by any longer and let you use me.”

“Eva, please,” he moaned as he tried to reach for my hands. I yanked them back and scooted a few inches down the bench.

“It isn’t like that. I promise.”

“It isn’t likewhat,Connor?”

Tears slid down his cheeks. It was the first time I’d ever seen Connor cry. I almost felt bad for him. Almost.

“Please don’t break up with me. If you do, my parents will start asking questions, and there are already rumors flying around campus about Melanie. If anyone finds out that we’re together, she could lose her job, and I could lose any chance of getting into a good medical school.”

I could hear my heartbeat in my ears. The edges of my vision turned blurry with every word he spoke.

“You love her,” I seethed.

“What?” he stammered.

“In all the five years we spent together, you never got this upset about anything. Not when your parents told you I should stop chasing the pipe dream of becoming a photographer. Not when Caroline was a total bitch to me. Not ever. I thought what we had was love. But seeing you like this, more worried that yourmistressis going to lose her job than how you have completely broken my heart. I can’t believe this. I can’t believe that I wasted five years of my life being your perfect girlfriend all for you to fall in love with someone else. And you didn’t even have the decency to break it off with me first. How long has this been going on?”

“Eva, it doesn’t—"

“How long?” I yelled, heat creeping up my neck.

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