The thud of his footsteps echoed, each one a hammer blow to my chest. Gone. Just like that. The silence he left behind was a vacuum, sucking the air from my lungs, the hope from my heart. I stood frozen, my arms wrapped around myself, a futile attempt to hold together the shattered fragments of my world. A bitter burn rose in my throat, hot and agonizing. I'd actually believed it. Believed us. Believed he wanted this bond, truly wanted me.
The casual brushes of his hand, lingering a little too long. The softness in his amber eyes when they met mine in the infirmary. The chocolates, my favorite, melting in my mouth. The flowers, their petals now wilting, a cruel mockery of my fleeting joy. They were all lies. Or worse, a temporary distraction. I walked to the bedside, the faint scent of wilting roses a painful reminder. He left. No explanation, no goodbye. Just… gone.
