Chapter 4

• BLYTHE
• I woke up early the next morning, and the first thing I did was to call up Ellis and tell her that I didn't feel like going to work today. She told me that it was fine because her friend had agreed to work at the shop for the meantime.
• Around 1PM, I called Finnian to ask him to meet me at Grizzly's. I was feeling extra bored to put on something nicer than a pair of sweatpants and a loose shirt.
• Grizzly's was not busy around that time, so I thought it would be better to hang around there for a couple of hours since Finnian told me he could meet me there at around 3. While killing time, I ordered an Iced Mochaccino.
• At the back of my head, I was already rehearsing everything that I would say to Finnian. About how terrible he made me feel and why I had come to a decision to end our relationship.
• It was thirty minutes past three when he showed up, as usual, he came late.
• “Sorry, I had to make sure that my colleagues were done with the site inspection before I could leave,” he explained.
• I had gotten used to hearing all those excuses from him, and it didn't surprise me anymore that he came late. It was one of the things that I hated about him, I was never a priority.
• He sat on the chair in front of me, and he was trying to be charming. He called up the waiter and ordered something to eat.
• “Look, sweetheart, I am sorry, okay. I know there is nothing I can do to make you forgive me, but are you really going to just throw everything behind?” He asked as he held my hand.
• “Did you think about that when you slept with that woman?” I asked him in return.
• “I know, it was my fault. You know me whenever I get drunk, I tend to…”
• I didn't let him finish, “and you tend to be promiscuous, giving in to anyone that offered herself to you? God, Finnian, grow up!”
• He shook his head and said, “it’s not like I will sleep with another woman and break up with you the next morning.”
• I got really irritated with what he said and I started raising my tone.
• “So, it's okay if I do the same. Whenever I feel like sleeping with another man, I could just hit on anyone? And you would not be mad about it?”
• “Did it ever cross your mind?” He asked. “Look, we are young, and we can only be young for so long, sweetie. I had imagined that many times.”
• “Imagined what?” I irritably asked.
• “You, hitting with another man while I was there watching and even joining.” He replied and bit his lower lip.
• “You are disgusting.” I commented.
• “I was just messing around, okay. Look, I told you that I am sorry. It will not happen again.” He said with his expression like that of a pleading innocent child.
• “Which one will not happen again? You, sleeping with another woman or, me, catching you doing it?” I pulled my hand away and moved my head away from his direction after saying that.
• He got up from his seat and transferred to the one beside me. He put his left arm across my shoulder and pulled me in closer. He placed his head on my left shoulder and asked me again to forgive him.
• I really loved Finnian, and moments like this could easily soften my heart.
• “The next time you do it again, you will never hear anything from me ever again.” I warned him, and he started kissing my neck.
• “There will be no next time, sweetie. I promised.”
• ~~~
• LARKIN
• No matter how many women I slept with, I could never get over the pain that losing my wife had caused me. It was a daily struggle since she left, and I could only wish that there was a way I could get her back.
• I was supposed to bring the flower arrangement to my wife's grave the day before, but I got to head back to work because something important came out. Luckily, I had some free time the following day so I had the chance to visit her. After visiting my wife's grave, I thought of dropping by at one of my wife's favorite diners. It was around 2PM when I got there. I took the empty table on the corner. I noticed a woman on the table beside mine and I was behind her.
• It didn't take long before her companion arrived but I didn't see how he looked liked. The only thing that separated me from them was the backrest of our couches that were high enough to prevent us from seeing each other.
• I overheard their conversation. Obviously, the woman was confronting the man about a recent cheating incident. If there was something I could brag about myself, it is the fact that when I married Annette, I never slept with anyone else.
• I didn't like the tone of the man, he seemed so sure that no matter how huge his mistake was, the woman would just let it go. I never gave Annette that kind of feeling, I never hurted her, and everytime we had to confront some issues with our marriage, we made sure to settle everything before bedtime.
• I felt for the woman when the man brought up his interest in cuckold and threesome, such perverted and disrespectful ideas. I wouldn't deny that I would enjoy that theme in an adult film, but I could never do it in real-time, especially not with my wife.
• The man knew exactly how to turn things in his favor, and the woman just gave in to her fragility. The next thing I heard was them planning their evening. I could only be happy for them, at least they had sorted things between them.
• I smiled when I realized that I spent my first few moments there getting attached to their conversation. I wasn't the romantic type, but when I felt like being one, I usually gave it my all.
• It made me wonder if I was romantic enough for my wife, but at least I knew that she never complained about it even for once. I still missed her so badly, and I would trade everything for my wife to come back to life.