Chapter 2

"What do you want to eat?" Emmitt asked.

"Sweet and sour ribs," I replied.

Emmitt paused for a moment.

Honestly, I'd been off sweets for ages.

It had been a long time since I last asked for Emmitt's sweet and sour ribs.

At first, Emmitt would still suggest making it, but after a while, the dish just quietly disappeared from our lives, until we couldn't even remember what it was called anymore.

Until we couldn't even remember what it was called anymore.

He laughed. "Alright, why the sudden craving?"

'Suddenly?' I thought.

I didn't answer.

Emmitt went to cook, and I just lay in bed, zoning out.

My stomach was killing me. I honestly couldn't tell if it was the car ride or something else. Either way, it just hurt.

It felt like the pain was boring into my heart, corroding my bones from the inside out.

It felt like the pain pulled me into a dream, back to Emmitt five years ago.

He was under the grapevine at our old place, learning to make sweet and sour ribs for me.

The sweet sauce dripped onto his hand, and I called him a dummy, but he just grinned at me.

Then, just like that, the dream jumped to Emmitt five years later.

He smashed the sweet and sour rib right into my face, yelling at me to get out and make room for him and the other woman.

Groggy, I heard Emmitt answer the phone, but I couldn't catch a word he said.

I snapped awake. The house was eerily quiet. My stomach hurt so much I called out, but nobody answered.

The lights were off, so I felt my way into the living room.

I could just make out a food wrapper sticking out of the trash can.

Emmitt must've left in a rush. He didn't even get a chance to serve the sweet and sour ribs. Or maybe he left so early that the food had already gone cold.

I tried a couple of bites in the dark. It was cloyingly sweet. He must've put in too much sugar.

When I went to the living room to get some water, I just froze in place.

The window was wide open, and I could see two tangled figures pressed up against the glass in the building across the street, locked together in a messy struggle.

Suddenly, my stomach churned with nausea. I rushed to the bathroom and tried to throw up, but nothing came out.

I collapsed onto the floor, bumping into the trash can next to me. Stuff from inside spilled onto the back of my hand.

I let out a startled cry and frantically shook it off.

I reached for my phone and tried calling Emmitt.

He didn't answer. I dialed again, but the call still wouldn't go through.

I stared at the glass window across the street, watching the tangled figures behind it shift before my eyes.

"Emmitt, how could you do this to me?" I murmured.

My heart throbbed with pain, my stomach twisted with nausea, but nothing came out, no matter how hard I tried.

Suddenly, tears just started to fall from my eyes.

Whatever, just let it go.

Seriously, this time I was really done.

Emmitt got home really late.

The house was dark. He stopped in his tracks for a second when he saw me curled up on the couch, then walked right up to me.

"Why are you still up so late?" he asked.

My gaze drifted down as he moved, settling on his rumpled collar.

Emmitt hurriedly tugged at his collar, trying to smooth it out, and started explaining before I could even say a word.

"Lucas and the guys called me out for dinner. You were still asleep, so I didn't wake you," he said.

"I probably just messed it up by accident," he added.

"Okay." I nodded, hugging my blanket, and made my way back to my room.

"Honey..." Emmitt called out behind me.

He trailed after me, sounding worried. "Seriously, what's going on with you today? Your eyes are all red. Are you feeling alright? Do you want me to take you to the hospital?"

I stopped right there, staring at him, frozen in place.

Emmitt frowned, and the concern in his eyes seemed real enough.

For a moment, I almost blurted out, asking why he kept lying to me, and wanted to cause a scene like before, just to hear whatever excuse he'd come up with.

But I just couldn't get the words out.

Just then, Emmitt's phone buzzed in his pocket, and he froze.

"Honey, I need to take this call," he said.

A light flickered in the window across the street. Emmitt quickly stuffed his phone back in his pocket, snatched up the clothes he'd just put down, and shot me an apologetic look.

"Rayna, I'm sorry, but Lucas and the guys are dead set on throwing this graduation party... there's just no way I can get out of it," he said.

I nodded.

"Just go," I said.

Emmitt shot me a hesitant look. "Forget it, I won't go..."

He slipped his phone away and nuzzled into my neck, his voice low and raspy, acting all clingy like he always did when he wanted attention.

"Honey," he murmured.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked, sounding all pouty. "You've been so distant with me today."

His voice rang out right next to my ear, and I just froze, dazed, my eyes starting to well up.

I whispered, "Emmitt..."

Emmitt's phone buzzed nonstop in his pocket. He froze for a moment, looking at me.

"Honey, I..." he said, trailing off.

I shut my eyes for a moment. "Just go."

I nudged him away. He just stood there, phone in hand, staring at me while it kept buzzing nonstop.