All Chapters of When Love Was A Lie: Chapter 11 - Chapter 14

The sound of rain tapping against the window filled the silence of the room. I sat on the edge of my bed, clutching the worn photograph Grandpa had given me years ago. It was of us... my head resting on his shoulders, both of us laughing. He always said I was his second chance at life. And now… it felt like that life was slipping through my fingers.The call had come just an hour ago.“Emmah… you should come. It’s time.”I couldn’t breathe when the nurse said those words. I knew Grandpa hadn’t been feeling well, but we all thought it was just another scare like the stroke, like the fainting spells. But this time it was different. This time, it was terminal.The air in my chest felt heavy as I drove through the familiar streets. The same streets he’d once taught me to drive,thinking I didn’t know how to. The memories that were once sweet and gentle were painful now. I wanted to go back to when all he needed was rest and a cup of warm ginger tea. Not... this.The hospital smelled like an

The quiet of the little house was no longer a refuge; it had become a test. For weeks, I had built a fortress of solitude, and now the silence felt like an echo of a life I was actively avoiding. The daily phone calls from Damian had been a fragile bridge back to the world, a tether I hadn't realized I was holding so tightly. But the calls had stopped. One day, two, and then a third. The silence wasn't just a missed conversation; it was a loud absence that filled every room.I tried to tell myself it was a good thing. A step toward true independence. My peace couldn't hinge on a phone call. I knew that intellectually. Emotionally, it was a different matter. My mind conjured a dozen scenarios. Had he given up? Had he decided I wasn't worth the effort? Or was he simply busy, a mundane reason that was far less dramatic than the rest? I paced the length of my small living room, the unfinished canvases on the easel mocking my composure.I picked up my phone, my thumb hovering over his name.