She Lost Me for Good

My best friend claimed he couldn't cook, so he bought the apartment across the hall from mine. Whenever I came home from a business trip, my girlfriend would walk him through cooking, step by step. I told her an hour ahead of time that I was hungry. Yet, there was no one waiting for me at the door when I got home. However, my best friend poked his head out when he heard the sound of the door opening, grinning with my apron tied around his waist. "Grayson! I've got a surprise for you! Come on in!" My stomach was growling, so I walked inside. My girlfriend, Gwendolyn Sinclair, hadn't even noticed me. She was looking down, wiping the sweat from his face with the back of her hand. When she finally saw me, she pulled her hand away, set a plate of spicy baked fish in front of me, and held out a fork for me. "Ryder made it. Dig in!" She looked even happier than my best friend. It was obvious she'd forgotten my stomach was bleeding yesterday. I pushed the fish away. "I can't eat this." She set the fork down, her expression tightening with displeasure. "Then, don't! You come home and start giving me attitude as if I owe you something." When she realized she'd been a tad too harsh, she forced herself to soften her expression. "Just wait a little longer… I'll make you something after I finish eating." When I was in an hour-long meeting, she was busy teaching him how to make spicy ground beef stew. When I was showering, she taught him how to make peppery beef soup in those 30 minutes. The water was already boiling hot, and the noodles had turned soggy. Yet, she was nowhere to be found. I took a handful of stomach medication. It didn't ease the pain, but it was still better than nothing. As I took my first bite of instant noodles, I made up my mind. If I couldn't get a hot meal, then it was time for me to stop waiting for one. Also, I was done holding on to a woman I couldn't keep.