No Longer Waiting for You のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 1 - チャプター 9

I turned and walked away without looking back.Lucas tried to follow me.Then Brielle coughed once.His footsteps stopped.I laughed at myself.Whatever last bit of hope I'd carried finally disappeared.At the airport, I closed the map on my phone and let out a long breath.Mom called almost immediately."Sweetheart, how was the trip with Lucas?"When are you coming home?"Mrs. Kelly next door was asking again. She says she can't wait for the wedding...""Mom."My voice went quiet."There isn't going to be a wedding."Lucas and I broke up."Mom went silent.When she spoke again, I could hear the emotion in her voice."Okay."That's okay."You just come home safe."I'll make you something good when you get here."My eyes stung.I bit my lip.After the call ended, I put my head down on my knees and cried.My heart had no visible wound.It still felt like it was dying.Once the first crack appeared, every emotion I'd been holding back came spilling out.I change

I didn't answer.I only looked at him.Lucas lowered his head."My mom hasn't been doing well."She recently had surgery, and recovery hasn't gone smoothly."Her only wish is to see me settled."He sighed."You know she never approved of you because of your sense of direction."Now the money for the house is gone too."There's no chance she'll agree."She likes Brielle."And Brielle is willing to go through with the wedding.""Lucas."I stood.My voice was flat."Who you marry has nothing to do with me."Get out."Neither my mother nor I want you here."Lucas didn't move.After a long silence, he spoke again."Everyone knows we were supposed to marry."If I suddenly marry your best friend, people are going to talk about Brielle."She's sensitive."She can't take that kind of gossip."He took my hand."If you come to the wedding and publicly give us your blessing, nobody will say anything."Don't worry."The wedding is just for show."It's just to calm my mot

The ballroom erupted.Mrs. Wentworth had always cared more about appearances than almost anything else.When I first visited, she'd fed me leftovers.Then she'd posted a whole gallery of beautiful food on social media, bragging that she'd prepared it specially for her future daughter-in-law.Now that I'd exposed her in front of everyone, her face turned an ugly shade of purple.As the whispers grew louder, she started breathing rapidly."My heart."Lucas, call an ambulance."Lucas reached for his phone.Then the second recording began to play.His hand stopped."Brielle, your idea really was perfect."Mrs. Wentworth's recorded voice filled the room."Pretend I'm sick, and Lucas will finally marry you."Onscreen, Brielle sat beside her hospital bed peeling an apple."Mrs. Wentworth, you must be exhausted."All those tests."Staying in the hospital just to keep the act going."Mrs. Wentworth laughed."Exhausted? Please."I'll do anything if it means you and Lucas end

A few days later, I made arrangements to leave my apartment. Then I took Mom's photograph and returned to my hometown.She used to tell me that once I married, she'd move back there, get a dog, grow vegetables, and live out her days in peace.It took me more than a month to repair the little house with a yard.It wasn't large. I turned the soil, put up a simple fence, and cleaned out the sunniest bedroom.Most days, I either researched how to improve the garden soil or ordered ridiculous numbers of vegetable seeds online.A few weeks later, I decided to visit a pet store and choose a puppy.Halfway there, I saw a small yellow dog curled against a wall.He was maybe three months old, shivering and watching everyone who passed with frightened eyes.I took him to a vet for his shots and a full checkup. He was healthy and quiet.He didn't make a sound through the whole visit.I took him home.For days, he stayed in one corner except when he ate.So I bought far too many toys,