I watched Kevin’s body suddenly go stiff. And then he laughed, this bitter, hollow sound that didn’t even reach his eyes. He knew. He’d known it for a while, probably that the two of us were never built on trust. Not really. Not the kind that holds when things get hard. After a long pause, he finally spoke, slow and deliberate.
“I get it now,” he said. “Everything you did was for me. I haven’t had anything to do with Tiffany in a long time. And that necklace, I took it back. It should’ve been yours from the beginning.”
That necklace.
God, I used to chase after it like it meant something, like it proved anything. It consumed me once.
But now, with it standing right in front of me, I felt nothing.
Without hesitation, I grabbed the necklace and flung it away. It dropped into the nearby artificial lake and vanished beneath the surface.
Kevin’s eyes went wide.!
“What the hell are you doing?!” he shouted. “Isn’t that what you always wanted?!“}
He really didn’t get it.
It was never about the necklace.
Not the price. Not the way it looked.§
It wasn’t because it was valuable–it was about something else.§
Years earlier, we were at Silverpeak Mountain, stargazing.§
That night, a single blue star shone brightly in the sky. I shared a story about it, bringing up the necklace that conjured memories of that night, of that star, and of us before our lives became so complicated and painful.
That was before Kevin met Tiffany, one of the few peaceful moments we ever had.
But he’d waved me off impatiently back then.§
“Yeah, yeah,” he said. “It’s just a necklace. We’ll snap a pic or whatever.”
I was head–over–heels for him back then. Dumb, blind, all–in. And he couldn’t even be bothered to pretend to care.
But now that I’ve let him go, suddenly everything matters?}
I looked at him and gave him a soft smile.
“Kevin,” I said, “do you even know what today is?“}
A simple question, but it made him frown tightly.}
But he stared at me like I’d asked him to solve a calculus equation. His brow furrowed. His jaw clenched.§
And I watched it hit him: he had no clue.
If I were the person he really loved, like he kept saying, how could he not remember?>
It was my birthday.
I used to set a million reminders for all his important days–his meetings, family events, and birthdays. I memorized anything that mattered to him. I made it my job.”
He never remembered a single one of mine.}
But Tiffany?!
He remembered everything. Her birthday. Her coffee order. Her damn period. He planned around it, showed up for her, and babied her when she was bloated or cranky.
I came back not to cling to some fantasy, but to fix the mess I helped make.
Now? I was done.
Kevin started scratching at the back of his hand, hard, until it bled. He looked like a man unraveling.§
“Just give me a little more time,” he said, almost begging. “I’ll remember, I swear.”
1
I shook my head. “How can you remember something you never paid attention to?“}
Then Kevin’s face brightened, like a lightbulb going off, “Oh, come on. This is about the little stuff? Avery, how was I supposed to know if
you never said anything? You bottle everything up and expect me to read your mind.”
He threw his hands up. “Fine! My bad. I’ll do better. From now on, just tell me. Whatever you say, I’ll remember. We can get married today. I mean it. I’ll listen. I’ll do it all.”
I sneered quietly to myself. The little stuff, huh?‘}
If he couldn’t even remember the small things, how could he ever hold onto the big ones?!
That was the whole problem.
I did tell him. Maybe not with shouting or ultimatums, but I did.
Kevin just didn’t care enough to listen.
never mattered enough to him, not when it really counted.
No thanks, Kevin,” I said softly. “We were never meant to be. We were forced into this whole fiasco from the start. You said it yourself
fter Thin Life We’ll Never Meet Again
1/2 83.3%
D
0:0
Secret quilly to mysel. The me stunt, nun:
If he couldn’t even remember the small things, how could he ever hold onto the big ones? That was the whole problem.
I did tell him. Maybe not with shouting or ultimatums, but I did.N
Kevin just didn’t care enough to listen.
I never mattered enough to him, not when it really counted.
“No thanks, Kevin,” I said softly. “We were never meant to be. We were forced into this whole fiasco from the start. You said it yourself
that being around me exhausted you. You wanted space. Peace.”
I sighed deeply and continued, “Well, now you’ve got it. I’m moving overseas soon, probably for good. I doubt I’ll be coming back. I never made you guess anything before. You just didn’t listen. But now that I’ve let go, it’s your turn.“}
Kevin stood frozen, his face hurt like I’d stabbed him. I turned and closed the door behind me.”
A few seconds later, I heard a splash outside.
My stomach dropped. I ran to the window, already bracing myself for the worst, and saw Kevin in the lake, fully clothed.
For a split second, my heart stopped. But then I remembered that he was always a strong swimmer.”
Sure enough, Kevin surfaced, water dripping from his hair, and swam straight to the bottom where the necklace had sunk. He came up with it in his hand, like it was the last thing tethering him to something real.
He climbed out, drenched, shivering, completely wrecked. Then he walked up the doorstep, placed the necklace gently on the mat, and walked away.
No words. No last look.
Just gone.
