Disbelief seemed to colour Damian's black orbs even as we held each other's gazes. Sunlight filtered from across the open kitchen windows, casting a unique glow on his already exquisite face.
A bright halo loomed over him, a deep contrast to the swarms of darkness pooling beneath his eyes. Yet again, I couldn't get read him.
His voice was thick and raw, coming finally, "Do whatever you want, Amaya."
A cold gust of wind hit my face, my heart bruised with the sting of his indirect rejection. "Certainly, Mr. Wester. Most certainly." I answered in a low tone, my voice slow and deliberate.
With complicated emotions clouding my vision, I turned away, dashing back to the room I found myself in earlier.
Shutting the door behind me, I slumped to the floor, raw pain tightening across my chest. 'Do whatever you want, Amaya'
The words rang over my head repeatedly, tearing into the deepest part of me every time I relived it.
Was this where it all ends? Sixteen years melted into this, this suffocating feeling of nothingness and pain.
I didn't know when the tears began to stain my cheeks but I buried my face on my clasped knees, determined not to make a sound.
I wasn't sure for how long I drenched in my hurting, limp on the ground, the taste of rejection and futility bitter on my tongue.
***
I didn't catch a glimpse of Damian after that, probably he was sick of meeting my face already. Determined to leave every trace of bitter feelings right there in his mansion, I walked out of the building in quick yet confident strides.
The sun shone brightly in the sky with an unrelenting glow that seemed to seep into the hairs of my skin and I chuckled, even smiling at the gatekeeper on my way out.
All of a sudden, my shoulders didn't ache as much as they used to, neither did I feel like a heavy block has been placed on my chest making it hard to breath.
I was breaking free of the curse that was my unrequited, stubborn love.
Flagging a taxi, it took thirty minutes to get to my humble apartment and I jumped out of the vehicle, paying the cabman and dashing into my house.
My mind was zeroed into one specific goal. Calling off our engagement.
I raced into my room, throwing open my luggage and packing a few things inside. I was going back to my family house in another city and there, I was going to break the news to my parents.
I boarded the bus to go, estimating it'd take three hours to get to my childhood home. I wasn't sure why but I dozed off at some point, almost missing the stop to my destination in the process.
Yet finally, I made it.
Knock! Knock!
I knocked on the door twice, my grip on my luggage tightening. I could feel the fire of my resolve wavering like a flickering flame as I weighed my decisions once again. But there was no turning back now. Not when my mother had already pulled the door open, her head peeking out to see who was there.
"Amy!" A gasp escaped mother's lips at the sight of me. The door was pushed wider in an instant, a gesture of generous welcome and I beamed at her, strolling into the warm house naturally.
My mother's face was filled with pleasing smiles, her eyes flickering to my luggage for the briefest of moment before darting back to me quickly. Yet, I caught the awkwardness crossing her aging features before disappearing altogether.
"You're welcome dear." She guided me inside and I took a seat, smiling.
"Thank you mom. Where is Dad?" Just as I had finished speaking, my father emerged from inside, his curt face breaking into a smile at the sight of me.
I stood my feet, ready to bask in the comfort of the only family I've ever known. The light in their faces did measures to healing my aching heart.
***
"What?!" My parents both screamed in unison when I broke the news to them. We were all seated in the dining table, having freshened up for the evening dinner. I had stalled for time till I couldn't anymore and so I let the words fall out of my lips.
"Damian and I are calling off our engagement."
The look of shock on their wrinkle kissed faces where hard to miss, my mother's eyes in particular, almost boggling out of their sockets. I could guess the million questions shooting up their brain the next second.
How was it possible? The both of us were the perfect definition of the best couple. Blah blah blah, all lies. Turned out, when it came to the art of deception, Damian was such an expert, it could bring one to tears.
All these years, he fooled both our families, myself only being led along without question like a mindless goat.
"What are you saying, my dear?" My mother whispered under her breath, her eyes on me, incredulous.
I bit my lip helplessly, understanding it wasn't going to be easy to explain everything. I simply told them that things couldn't work out between us and we had tried to make it work for the sake of both families but to no avail.
Mother couldn't believe me, he hand on her mouth in shock. Father was wordless, his face red with an emotion I couldn't exactly pinpoint at the moment.
After spilling my truth, I continued with my food, generously filling my tummy, morsel after morsel.
A strange anticipation tingled my nerves as I ate, the reality of my current situation hitting me in gradual waves. I felt at peace and it almost made no sense to me.
I heard mother exclaim out of the blue, "Who's going to break this news to Richard and his family now? Is Damian going to do it?" It was clear with the way her voice wavered as she cast quick glances between both of us at the table that she was still trying to wrap her head around the whole thing.
I stirred in my seat, a sudden wash of discomfort blanketting my earlier sense of peace. The moment I've been dreading for had finally come.
Honestly, I didn't wish to speak to Damian's family.