All Chapters of Nice to See You Again: Chapter 31 - Chapter 33

Matt stayed.He didn't ask me to talk.He didn't ask me what I was thinking.I could tell he felt it.The distance between us.The emptiness behind my eyes.The way I looked at him without really seeing him.He knew something had changed.He just didn't know how much.Instead of asking questions, he stayed.He picked up his bag and followed me inside.For the rest of the afternoon, he moved quietly through the house.He took out the trash.Washed the dishes piled in the sink.Carried the wilted flowers outside without asking whether I wanted to keep them.I watched him from the couch.He was trying.I knew he was.But every kind thing he did only reminded me that I had needed him days ago.Not now.Later that evening, we sat on the back porch.The sun had already disappeared, leaving the sky dark and empty.Neither of us spoke for a long time.Matt leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees.I stared at the engagement ring on my finger.It felt heavier than it used to.Finally, h

That was the last time I ever heard Matt's voice.I think he knew.If we'd kept talking...If we'd seen each other just one more time...He would have changed his mind.Instead...We kept the promise we'd never made out loud.We let each other go.Sophie handled everything I couldn't.She canceled the wedding venue.The florist.The photographer.The caterer.She informed everyone we'd invited that the wedding had been canceled.She never once complained.She simply told me not to worry about any of it.So I didn't.I couldn't.Instead...I buried myself in school.Every class.Every assignment.Every exam.If I wasn't sitting in a lecture hall, I was studying.If I wasn't studying, I was working on another project.Keeping busy was easier than sitting alone with my thoughts.Four years passed faster than I expected.I graduated magna cum laude.As I walked across the stage to accept my diploma, I couldn't help but look up.I smiled through the tears gathering in my eyes.Mom...I did