She’s Always His Priority, So I Left for Paris Chapter 06
Wait till I cool down.
Three years. How many times had I cooled down?
Every single time, I was the one who spoke first; I was the one who caved. Every single time, I told myself—
that’s just how he is.
He doesn’t mean any harm. He’s just not that attentive.
But he was attentive with Piper.
“He wiped her fingers one by one. He picked out a vintage gown for her. He remembered she liked
unsweetened latte.
He took her to see the lights at Eagle’s Perch Tower. He blocked the wind for her at Market Alley. He bought
her a Valentine’s Day limited edition necklace.
He wasn’t inattentive.
He just didn’t care enough about me.
The first month in Paris was a blur.
I joined Mr. Hartley’s research group. Meetings, papers, thesis proposals. A spinning top from morning till night.
In my sixth week in France, Nathan called from an
unknown number.
I was at the library, grinding through an essay. I didn’t
check the screen before picking up.
“Hello,”
“Merle.”
The second I recognized his voice, my thumb hovered over the end button.
“Don’t hang up.” He said it fast. “Just give me two minutes.”
I didn’t hang up. But I didn’t say anything either.
I hounded your advisor for ages before he told me you were in Paris.”
His voice was lower now, less of that earlier anger.
“When… when did you apply?”
“Three months ago.”
A pause on his end.
“Three months ago… we were still together then.”
“Yes.”
Another long silence. Then he spoke again.
“Merle… can you give me a chance? Let me come see you.”
“Don’t bother.” I said.
“I’m coming anyway.”
“Nathan.”
“I know I messed up.”
He cut me off, his voice a little rough.
“Piper. Valentine’s Day. The night you had a fever.”
“I know. I know exactly where I went wrong.”
“But you can’t just leave like that without saying a word. That’s not fair.”
I listened to those words, and a picture surfaced in my head.
That night at the clinic, waiting for my number, wrapped in my coat. Piper’s Instagram Story of the river at night glowing on my phone. Fair.
“We’re broken up now. I don’t owe you fairness.”
I hung up, spread my books open, and went back to my reading.
Nathan came anyway.
It was the afternoon of my thesis defense. I’d just walked out of the academic building when I saw him standing at the entrance, scanning the crowd.
The moment he spotted me, he started walking over, reaching for my hand. I stepped back.
“Nathan. What do you want?”
He looked at me. “I want you to come back.”
“I’m not coming back.”
“Merle, I admit it. I did a lot of things wrong. The Piper
thing… I didn’t set boundaries. I know that.”
“I thought you two were best friends, thought you
wouldn’t mind. But I forgot that you were my
girlfriend, not her.”
“Valentine’s Day. That necklace… yeah, it was a limited
edition. I bought it without thinking. Just thought
she’d been down lately and…”
He stopped himself, shook his head.
“No excuses. I screwed up.”
I stood there quietly and let him finish.
“Are you done?” I asked.
“Not yet.” He looked up at me.
“I want to say. If you’d give me one more chance, I’d do it right.”
He finished. I spoke up.
“Nathan. Did Piper know you were coming here?”
He paused. Didn’t answer.
“She did.” I answered for him.
He didn’t deny it.
“What did she say?”
Three seconds of silence.
“She said… she said you’ve always been the type to throw a tantrum. That you’d come around in a few days. That I didn’t need to fly all the way here.”
I nodded.
“And you still came.
“Yes.” He said. “Because I didn’t think that was true.”
I turned those words over in my head.
He didn’t think that was true.
That sentence came three years too late.
“Nathan.” I said. “I thought a lot of things on that flight over here.”
“I thought about when we first got together. The first time you came to find me. The way you remembered I liked orange juice.”
His eyes flickered.
“Then somewhere along the way, you forgot I liked orange juice.”
“You forgot our anniversary. You forgot I’m scared of the dark and hate taking cabs alone. You forgot that when I have a fever, I need someone there.”
He didn’t argue because everything I said was true.
“Nathan.” I said. “We’re already broken up. Stop chasing me.”
I turned and walked away without looking back