Chapter 3

When I said goodbye to the girl, I told her earnestly, "I'll post something soon. I won't keep you all waiting too long."

The clack of high heels sounded behind me.

Eleanor walked up with a frown. "What exactly are you dawdling for? You won't pick out a swimsuit, and you won't buy sunglasses either.

"Put that look away. I promise I'll go with you next time. Isn't that good enough?"

When it came to me, it was always next time. For Oliver, it was always right now.

When he wanted a new pair of trendy sneakers, Eleanor scoured the entire city and paid a premium to have them sourced, determined to put them in his hands that very day.

When I wanted the newest Nikon lens on the market, she promised to have a friend buy it for me.

But after I spent a full week waiting in anticipation and finally asked why the package still hadn't arrived, she told me she'd forgotten.

To Eleanor, I had long since stopped mattering.

Maybe my expression had grown too grim, because her tone softened. "Vincent, he's your brother. Why bother competing with him?"

I nodded quietly in agreement.

Satisfied, she smiled and leaned against my shoulder as she made another promise. "Once we get to Eldwater Hollow, I'll have my assistant book the best wedding photography studio and makeup artist in advance.

"You should lose some weight in the meantime. Only then will you deserve everything I've worked so hard to arrange."

Oliver and Giselle came out with their arms full of shopping bags, panting from exhaustion.

"Let's head home. We practically bought out the whole store."

Eleanor's eyes filled with indulgence as she took the bags Oliver handed her.

Rain poured down in sheets, splashing against my legs and soaking the cuffs of my pants.

Countless gift bags had taken over both my seat and the passenger seat.

Rain hammered against the car windows.

Oliver leaned his head out, looking a little sheepish. "Bro, maybe just grab a cab home. There's no room left for you."

Without paying the slightest attention to my hand, Giselle slammed the car door shut with all her strength.

Pain exploded through my knuckles. I yanked my hand back and stumbled away, but my foot found no solid ground. Half my body plunged into an open manhole in the road.

My watch struck the pavement, and its face spiderwebbed with cracks.

Eleanor started to get out of the car to check on me, but Oliver spoke up with concern in his voice. "The rain's only getting heavier. If we can't see the road later, it'll be dangerous to drive."

She started the engine, tossed out a curt "Take care of yourself," and drove away without a backward glance.

Raindrops the size of beans pelted me, each one stinging against my skin. I bit down hard on the soft flesh inside my mouth.

Eleanor had specially commissioned this watch from a master craftsman as a gift for our eighth anniversary.

As I struggled to steady myself, shards from the shattered watch face dug into my flesh. My love for Eleanor had cut just as deeply over the long years, until it had slowly worn away and we could hardly stand the sight of each other.

I took off the watch and picked the shards of glass from my skin, as if I could remove every trace of the love I had carried for her all these years.

The downpour soaked me to the bone. Every gust of wind sent a chill through my body.

Did Eleanor truly no longer care whether I was cold?

I let out a bitter laugh and pulled out my phone to call a cab, only to find that the rain had damaged it. The screen lit up for a moment before going completely black.

My watch lay abandoned in the filthy water. I stood beneath the bus stop shelter and waited for the rain to let up. I had no idea how much time passed before the downpour finally began to ease.

A woman collecting recyclables called after me, "Hey, you don't want that watch anymore?"

I smiled and glanced down at my bare wrist. "No. I don't."