#Chapter 47: Remember


    Abby


    In the dimly lit café, surrounded by the soft murmur of conversations and the aroma of fresh coffee, I sit


    with my friends, watching their eyes widen in disbelief as I ry the events of the past few days.


    “You broke up with Adam?” Leah, with her ever-present surprise, always finds a way to make her eyes


    bulge out in an almostical manner.


    “Sort of,” I reply, stirring my iced coffee absentmindedly. I don’t want to ‘out’ Adam for his orientation, so


    I decide to leave that part out. Around the restaurant, the clinking of the ice cubes and the soft sound of


    voices meld together to create a soft jingle that feels oddlyforting when I need it the most. “It


    was… more of a mutual thing.”


    Chloe gives me a sharp nce, her red lipstick making her pouty lips seem even more pronounced.


    “Mutual?” she asks. “Mutual how?”


    I shake my head. “I don’t wanna get too into it,” I reply. “But I’ll just say this: it was never gonna work


    out. Not in a million years.”


    Both Chloe and Leah shoot me a sideways nce. Even though I’m staring down at the frothy


    cappino sitting in front of me, I can see them look at each other in my peripherals and mouth some


    silent words to each other. I pretend not to notice.


    “You don’t seem too heartbroken, Abby,” Chloe finally says.


    Shrugging, I admit, “I’m sad, yes, but not heartbroken. More like... hopeful.”


    It’s the truth, too. Adam’s confession did make me sad; I spent the first three nights crying and cursing


    the Moon Goddess. But it’s been a week now, and I feel surprisingly good. I feel free. Like a weight has


    been lifted off of my shoulders. Like a whole host of opportunitiesy before me, waiting to be plucked.


    “Hopeful?” Reba repeats, arching an eyebrow. “For what?”


    “For the future,” I say, smiling softly. “For new opportunities, new beginnings.”


    Chloe snorts, reading my wistful expression instantly. She’s always been good at that. “Don''t tell me


    you’re considering Karl as one of those ‘new beginnings’?”


    My cheeks burn. How can I exin theplex web of feelings I have for Karl without sounding naive?


    “Of course not,” I lie, knowing that I’ll absolutely never, ever, not in a million years, admit that I have


    thought about it. “But he was there for me, Chloe. When Adam wasn’t. There’s no denying that.”


    She rolls her eyes. “I know, I know. He yed the knight in shining armor, jumped in front of the mes,


    stood by you during the hospital visit. I’ve heard the tales of his heroics.”


    “But it’s true,” I insist. “He showed me a side of him that I had forgotten existed. And honestly, I think


    he’s changed, too. For the better.”


    Leah, ever the mediator, finally speaks up. “Both of you have a history together. It’s natural to feel


    something when you see a familiar face during difficult times.”


    “Yeah,” Chloe chimes in, her voice dripping with sarcasm, “especially when the ‘familiar face’ was a


    perfectly sweet gentleman before the wedding bells rang. And then turned into a totally different person


    after.”


    I take a deep breath, feeling the weight of Chloe’s words. She’s notpletely wrong. Something


    about the wedding changed Karl all those years ago; that was when he started getting jealous and


    controlling.


    But somehow, I’d like to give him the benefit of the doubt. That was years ago, and we were too young


    for marriage. We weren’t prepared for the emotional toll that such amitment can take on a young


    mind.


    “You’re right. But I’d like to think that Karl has changed, Chloe,” I murmur. “At least a little.”


    “Has he, though?” She looks me dead in the eye. “Rememberst week? That little altercation he had


    with the waitress about her shirt being ‘too revealing’? Or the way he still speaks about confident


    women, like they’re sluts who need to be kept in their ce? Some deep-rooted perceptions don’t just


    change overnight, Abby.”


    My heart sinks. I remember that incident. The way he hadmented about poor Daisy’s shirt being


    too revealing, his face all scrunched up in disdain when I confronted him about it. His old habits. Old


    perceptions.


    Before I can answer, Leah reaches across the table, cing aforting hand on mine.


    “You deserve the best, Abby. If Karl is truly different now, he should prove it, not just with grand


    gestures, but in everyday life. And from what I’ve seen and heard, he hasn’t quite done that. Not yet, at


    least.”


    I sigh, wrapping my fingers around Leah’s. “I know. I know you’re both right. And even if he does


    changepletely, I’m not sure if I can ever trust him again.”


    Chloe nods. “That’s the spirit. And hey, who’s to say you need a man right now? After all, you’ve got


    your restaurant. It’s about time you finally start focusing on you and what makes you happy.”


    Augh bubbles up from my chest. “And since when did Miss Chloe be the voice of reason when


    ites to men?” I tease, implying her history with men. She’s never had a long-term rtionship, and


    seems to be entertaining a different man every week.


    “Since always,” Chloe retorts, her smirk in ce. “You just didn’t notice because you were too busy


    with all the drama.”


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Leah chuckles. “Chloe’s right, though. Abby, you need some ‘you’ time. Rediscover yourself, your


    passions. Don’t rush into anything. Like you did with…” Her voice trails off, but I know what she’s about


    to say.


    “I know,” I retort, breaking off a piece of my croissant and dipping it into my cappino. “Like I did with


    Adam.”


    “At least you realize that,” Chloe says with a chuckle. “You two moved so fast, especially for someone


    who was fresh out of a marriage and had her heart broken.”


    “Yeah,” I answer, narrowing my gaze, “and let’s not forget exactly who talked me into getting back into


    dating.”


    Chloe opens her mouth to retort, but her lips turn upward in a smile. Leah steps in with a chuckle. I


    can’t help butugh a little, too.


    “Alright, alright,” Leah says, raising her mug to her lips. “Everyone’s to me here. Let’s not point


    fingers. What really matters, Abby, is that you’ve grown and moved on from the way things were back


    then. And it shows, too.”


    I lean back in my chair, letting their words wash over me. The idea of being single, of having time for


    myself, is tempting. For so long, my life revolved around men, rtionships, trying to mend broken


    things.


    But now, with my restaurant and my dreams, there’s so much I want to achieve. Opening the restaurant


    was only the beginning of my journey. Perhaps this is the universe’s way of telling me to pause and


    refocus.


    “You guys,” I begin, my voice thick with emotion, “thank you. You always have my back. Even when I


    don’t really deserve it.”


    Chloe reaches across the table to squeeze my hand. “Always. And remember, no man is worth your


    peace.”


    “Oh, I’ll remember,” I say, taking a long sip of my cappino. “Trust me. I’ll remember.”