Page 6 of Waiting Game

He walked in as I was packing my bags.

I knew that none of my clothes would be appropriate for my old hometown, but it would have to do. As soon as I saw my sister, Zarina, I knew that she would rip me to shreds for how I was dressed. Then she would take me shopping and treat me as her own personal dress up doll like she did when we were kids.

My jeans and plain tees would not fly around my family, and I was sure that my mother would not let me embarrass the family by dressing like a normal person either.

Everything was about appearance, and how you made The Family look.

“So you’re really going?” he asked, leaning against the door frame of my bedroom.

He had been sulking since I told him that I was going back to Melbourne, even though it was only for a week.

“It’s my brother’s wedding, Pete. I wouldn’t miss it,” I shook my head as I shoved anything I could find into my suitcase.

“You don’t even like your family,” he sighed, crossing his arms.

“No,” I laughed, “I don’t like my mother. I love my siblings, and I’ll be there for them whenever they need me. Even if I don’t agree with the way that they live.”

“It’s so dumb,” he shook his head and rolled his eyes.

This was exactly why I had called off our relationship.

Pete and I had been engaged for only three months before his attitude started to get to me. He was a doctor, I was a nurse - and to him, that meant he knew better.

In every facet of life.

He treated me like I was stupid, like I should listen to him because he thought that he was so much smarter. Though he never said the words out loud, it was pretty clear that he felt this way. In the end, no matter how smart he thought he was, I knew that he wouldn’t last a day around my family.

“Well,” I snapped, “I’m going.”

Pete had been trying to talk me out of going to Melbourne in every way possible, and was no longer taking the delicate route about it. I zipped my suitcase, and checked my watch. I had a shift before my flight, and I knew that I should have been packed already.

I picked up the suitcase and rolled it towards the door, but Pete put out a hand and blocked my way.

“Please don’t do this, Ree,” he looked down at me, his blue eyes pleading.

I sighed, reaching up and moving his long hair from his face.

“I’m going to work, OK? I’ll see you there later.”

After I pushed my way past him, I told myself not to look back.

I knew that my confidence was fragile right now, and it wouldn’t take much to sway my decision to return to that hell hole of a city. But I wasn’t doing it for me, I was doing it for my brother.

“It’s because of him, isn’t it?” he asked just as I opened the door.

I paused, looking back at him over my shoulder.

“I mean,” he shoved his hands into his pockets, “you never even asked me to come.”

“That has nothing to do with Ren. It’s because I don’t want you caught up in something because of my family. They’re not good people.”

He looked to the ground, shaking his head.

“I mean it, Pete,” I said, “The less that they know about my life, and you included, the better. You do not want them knowing who you are.”

“So you didn’t just break up with me so you can run back to your old boyfriend?”

I rolled my eyes, “I’m not even having that conversation with you, it’s so ridiculous. It’s been ten years. We were in high school. It has nothing to do with him. I just need time to think about our future - you know that.”

---