“Hey!” Dash calls out. “Anna, wait up!”
I keep my head down, picking up my pace. I can't talk right now. I'm a mix of sadness and anger. I feel stupid for putting this idea in his head. I'm an idiot for planting the seed and not thinking it would grow.
It just happened so fast.
“Anna!” he yells again, his feet hitting the pavement hard. “Stop!” His hand falls over my shoulder and stops me in my tracks. “Anna, what the hell is going on? Why are you ignoring me?”
“Not right now, Dash. I just want to go home.”
“I don't get it. You're not even a little happy about this?” I can see the confusion in his eyes. His brows are arched high, and his pupils are dilated.
“I'm going home, Dash.”
“That's your answer? That's all you have to say?”
I pull my shoulder free from his fingers, saying nothing at all. I don't have the right words to give him. I should be grateful. I should be happy that he's done so much for a girl he just met.
But I'm not. All I feel is more sadness and pain. I gave myself to a man who isn't sticking around. Not that I expected we'd get married one day and grow old together. I just thought he'd be here for a little bit longer than this. I didn't think time would get cut this short.
I thought he cared more about me than he actually does.
Because if he cared as much about me as I do about him, this conversation would have never happened.
You're a naive girl, who’s given her heart to a man who doesn't want it.
Dash doesn't want me.
A single tear falls down my cheek as I walk away. It rolls down my face, but I catch it with the back of my hand before it breaks free.
I won't cry for him. I won't cry for some guy that only has half his heart in something.
If he even has any of his heart in this at all.
10
Anna
I haven't spoken to Dash in two days. For two days I've locked myself in my room, avoided him at all costs, refusing to even acknowledge him. If he's home, I stay in my room or venture out into the kitchen or bathroom as quickly as possible.
When he's at work, I breathe a sigh of relief. Just the thought of seeing him draws out all these emotions I don’t know how to process. I don't want his job. I don't want him to leave. I just want it to go back to the way it was.
Back to when I felt like we were us.
I'm sitting on the couch when I hear the door lock open. Gathering my stuff, I'm trying to fumble it all in my arms, and get inside my room before the door opens. I'm not quick enough.
“Surprise,” he says, giving me a big smile. “Look who I found.”
Betty comes in behind him hobbling on a single crutch with a boot on her foot. She gives me a giant smile and holds out her arms. “At last!” she yells, wiggling her fingers for me to come give her a hug. “I finally get to meet you in person.” She hugs me tight.
“Oh my god, you're actually here. I didn't think they were letting you out yet.”
“Yeah, well, I don't think they could stand me much longer.”
“You are a pain in the ass,” Dash says, grabbing her bags from the hall, and bringing them inside.
“Shut up,” Betty snaps with a giggle. “What do you know, anyway?”
“I know you better than anyone else. Trust me, if they could have kicked you out sooner, they would have. I bet your food was spit in a few times, and you didn't even know it.”
“Wouldn't be the first time,” she says as she winks at me. “I'm a force to be reckoned with.”
“Mm, hm,” he hums as he shuts the door.
“So, Anna, what do you think? Does the apartment look like you thought it would?” Betty asks. Her hair is a little darker than the last time we video chatted. Her eyes are the same blue as her brother's, but she's a lot shorter than I expected based on how tall Dash is.
The resemblance between them is there. They both have the same almond shaped eyes and the little dimple in the center of their chins.
“It does.”
“And me?” she asks, holding out her arms. “Do I look any different?”
“No, but you're shorter than I thought,” I say, looking her up down.
“You can blame my parents on that one. They gave Dash all the height.” She waddles awkwardly to the couch and drops down. “I hope you haven't been bringing home all kinds of girls to my bed, Dash.”
He glances at me briefly. I can see the fire in his eyes as he thinks about our nights together. “No, of course not.”