Chapter 2

Zeke sat on the edge of the bed and studied my expression.

Then he let out a long, tired sigh.

"Ruby, I've been working all day. I'm exhausted. I really can't deal with this right now. Let's just get some sleep. We can talk tomorrow."

He lay down beside me, turned his back, and closed his eyes.

The room fell silent. Before long, his breathing grew slow and even.

Everything I wanted to say remained trapped in my throat as tears slid silently down my cheeks.

A notification on my phone finally pulled me back to reality. My flight confirmation came through.

I was leaving shortly after midnight the next night. I was going to leave Zeke, this city, and the seven years we had spent together behind.

I wiped my tears with the back of my hand, curled up under the covers, and eventually fell asleep.

The next morning, Zeke was up unusually early, moving around the kitchen in an apron. When he saw me, he smiled.

"You're up. I made breakfast. Come eat before it gets cold."

For a moment, I could only stare at him.

I smiled back, caught off guard by the sudden kindness.

"Thanks for making breakfast. I'll eat every bite. What did you ma…"

The words died in my throat.

On the table were two hard-boiled eggs with the yolks scooped out, a pile of burnt toast crusts, and a few wilted lettuce leaves.

Zeke untied his apron.

"Hailey was craving one of my sandwiches, and we already had everything, so I made her one. She likes the yolks and the soft part of the bread, so I set those aside for her."

He gestured toward the scraps on the plate.

"You're pregnant. You need to eat, so don't be picky. Just finish what's left."

He grabbed the last two bottles of calcium-fortified milk I had bought for myself and tucked them into the lunch bag.

"We're almost out of milk, so I'm taking these. Pick up some more later, okay? And wash the dishes when you're done. I still have to take Hailey to work, and I'm already running late."

The door slammed shut behind him.

I stood beside the table, staring at the scraps he had left me.

Maybe it was the lingering pain from yesterday's procedure, but suddenly, my whole body ached so badly that I could barely breathe.

I sank into a chair and broke down, overwhelmed by the pain and humiliation.

By the time I stopped crying, my eyes were swollen. I forced myself to my feet, dumped the untouched food into the trash, and went back to the bedroom to pack.

I didn't have much. After seven years together, my entire life fit into two large suitcases. It wasn't until noon that I finally felt the dull ache of hunger.

After going back and forth for a while, I sent Zeke a message.

[Are you free for lunch? I can meet you near your office. There's something important I need to tell you.]

As expected, he didn't respond.

I checked social media and saw that he commented on one of Hailey's posts just three minutes earlier.

Clenching my jaw, I copied the message and posted it under her update instead.

Zeke replied almost instantly.

[I'm busy.]

The bitterness in my chest was almost unbearable, but I didn't respond.

Instead, I called him.

"Ruby, I just told you…"

"Twelve thirty," I interrupted him. "I'll be at the restaurant across from your office."

Then I hung up.

I didn't give Zeke a chance to say no, or myself a chance to lose my nerve.

I waited until 1:10 p.m., but Zeke still hadn't shown up.

I had just picked up my phone to call him again, certain he was standing me up, when he finally walked in.

I opened my mouth to speak, but then Hailey stepped out from behind him.

"Hey, Ruby. I saw your comment, so I thought I'd join you for lunch. You don't mind, do you?"