Page 38 of Love You Like That

I met my parents for lunch at a trendy bistro in. They were already seated at a corner table when I arrived. My father in a crisp gray blazer and my mother in a cream blouse and pearls, both beaming as I walked up.

“There she is!” my mother said, standing to kiss my cheek. “Look at our girl.”

“You look focused,” my father said approvingly as I sat. “How’d it go?”

“It went… really well,” I said, forcing a smile. “They offered me the job so long as I passed my exam.”

My mother clasped her hands together with a soft gasp. “Oh, honey, that’s wonderful.”

My father nodded firmly. “As expected. Hollis Medical knows talent when they see it.”

The waiter arrived and we ordered. The table was light and buzzing for a while with my parents peppering me with questions about benefits and the whole nine. But then my father leaned in slightly, voice low.

“And Ezra?” he asked carefully. “What’s the situation there now?”

I hesitated, pushing a piece of bread around my plate. “It’s… over.”

A beat of silence passed. “Good,” he said simply.

My mother reached for her wine. “That boy had too many rough edges and the way you guys left the garden party I knew it wouldn’t last. Very telling.”

My jaw clenched.

“Yavanni,” my father continued, “You are brilliant. You’re stepping into a career that’ll open every door. You don’t need someone who drags their feet in the mud while you’re trying to fly.”

“Ezra didn’tdraganything,” I snapped before I could stop myself. “He lifted me and made me see myself. He believed in me when I didn’t. But of course, you wouldn’t know that. You only ever saw what you didn’t like.”

My mother stiffened slightly. “Sweetheart, we’re just being honest.”

“No,” I said, eyes burning, voice sharper now. “You’re being elitist. Judgmental. And you don’t get to be relieved when I lose someone I loved just because he didn’t fit your checklist.”

My father sighed, frustration creeping into his voice. “This isn’t about checklists. It’s about standards. You deserve someone who matches your ambition, your world.”

“And what if my world isn’t as narrow as yours?” I shot back.

Silence fell between us, thick and tense. My mother glanced away, pretending to be fascinated by the dessert tray. Finally, my father exhaled slowly. “You’re emotional right now. That’s understandable. But eventually, you’ll see this was the right move. You’ve got a career ahead of you. A reputation to build. You can’t afford distractions.”

My hands shook as I reached for my water glass. He meant it with love, I knew that but it was like Ezra never mattered. Like love wasn’t worthy unless it came with a résumé and a Rolex.

The rest of lunch passed in a fog of quiet tension. We hugged goodbye outside the restaurant and my mother held me a beat longer than usual as my father’s embrace was more reserved.

As I slid into my car, I stared through the windshield at the passing cars, the people walking by, the city moving around me. I had the job. The title. The praise but all I felt was the echo of Ezra’s voice in my head.

You woke me up.

And now, I didn’t know how to go back to sleep.

Later that night, I lay on my side in the dark, sheets cool against my skin and the city humming softly outside my window. I hadn’t turned on the TV or bothered with a book or music. I just needed quiet. But even with all the silence, my thoughts were loud.

The glow of my bedside lamp spilled soft gold across the room, highlighting the curve of my thigh and the faint shine of shea butter on my skin. I stared at the ceiling, blank and still, as if waiting for it to give me answers.

I should’ve been happy. Hollis Medical. A career offer that would’ve made any nursing student cry tears of joy. My parents were proud and my future was secured. And yet… my chest ached. Not the sharp kind of heartbreak, but the deep, dull kind. The kind that sits behind your ribs and makes everything feel heavy.

I rolled onto my back and exhaled slowly, fingers laced over my stomach. I could still feel Ezra’s hands and still hear his voice when he whispered he loved me. I still remembered how we broke each other down and built something real in the middle of all our mess. Now, he was in New York and I was here.

It didn’t feel real. It didn’t feel fair. But maybe that’s what love did. It showed you all the possibilities and then left you with the weight of the choices you made.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand and I turned my head, brow furrowed as I reached for it. Jaylen was calling so I hesitated. My heart dipped slightly but not in the Ezra way. Not in that visceral, soul-deep pull. But it still dipped.

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