Page 75 of The Phyre that Burns
“Order as much as you think you want, and whatever you don’t eat, you can always take it with you.”
“True.”
We decided what we wanted, and when the server returned with our drinks, we ordered our food. Once we were alone again, I became a little nervous.
“I’ve missed you,” Phyre confessed.
“I hate to admit it, but I’ve missed you too.”
“A miscarriage?” I nodded. “Are you sure I can’t hug you?”
“It’s not necessary. I’ve dealt with the pain of my loss.”
“But I haven’t. I’m still processing the news.”
“This isn’t about you right now.”
He nodded in understanding, and the sadness in his eyes almost broke me.
“I really fucked up, baby, and I apologize from the deepest part of my heart. Kavia said?—”
“Kavia.” He nodded. “Let’s start there. Why do you allow her to get to you?”
“Hate is a strong word, but I hate her. I despise her existence, and I mean it from the depths of my soul. I’m very intentional about not sharing space with her, but the devil has been working overtime since God brought you back to me.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve seen her more times in the past two months than I had in the previous six, and every time, she was on some bullshit. It’s like I’m being tested.”
“She’s not my cup of tea either, and I already stepped out of character once dealing with her. I’d lose my shit if I had to interact with her regularly.”
“So, you understand.”
“I do, to a certain extent, but I don’t want to spend a lot of time talking about her. Before we move on, I’d like to know exactly what she said that set you off.”
“The night of the gala, Kavia finally realized who you were. I wasn’t aware that she’d ever seen you, so when she said she thought you looked familiar, I didn’t pay her any mind. Of course, she kept talking and asked if you’d told me about the baby you aborted.”
“Did you think about how she would know something like that before you believed her and got upset?”
“I did, but Kavia is very resourceful, and she spoke so confidently, I started to wonder if you were hiding something from me.”
“That’s the part that baffles me. Whenever she’s in your presence, her goal is to get under your skin, and you fall for it every time.”
“Not every time, but this time, I did. I fucked up, and I regret it with everything in me, baby.”
The server returned with our food, and once everything was on the table, she asked if we needed anything else. We shook our heads, and she disappeared. Phyre said a short blessing over our meal, and we paused our conversation for a few minutes to enjoy a few bites.
I ate slowly, taking small bites, praying I wasn’t overcome by a wave of nausea. I caught Phyre staring at me a few times and hoped he didn’t notice anything.
“Phyre, I don’t know where Kavia got her information. I don’t know if she believes what she told you or if it was something she made up to piss you off. I do know that shortly after I fell in love with you, I found out you were about to marry another woman. If I’d had an abortion, it was my choice, but the fact that I miscarried our child, and you had the nerve to come at me with so much anger, forced me to take a step back.”
Even though I’d told him twice that I didn’t want to hug him, he slid from his side of the booth and came over to my side. I scooted toward the wall to make room for him, but when he put his arm around my shoulder, I sank into his side. As I closed my eyes, I inhaled, allowing myself to forget about what brought us here, to live in the moment.
He kissed the top of my head repeatedly while stroking my arm softly. I remained quiet, giving him what he needed. Regardless of how long ago it was, I knew hearing the news had devastated him.
“Baby, I’m sorry I wasn’t there. I’m sorry for?—”
“Phyre.” I leaned away from him, allowing me to see his face. “It’s fine. I’m good.”
