Everything You Never Had

Twisted game

You walk the few steps leading up to the door, and without giving yourself permission to think, you ring the doorbell.

There's no going back.
.....

You hear his steps towards the door. With each step, your stomach turns more and more, leaving you feeling nauseous.

The sudden sound of the door handle makes your eyes flinch, and then the door opens.

And it's not him.

It's her.

It's Cate. And she looks... beautiful.

You want to tell her how much you've missed her. Tell her how much you love her. You want to plunge forward. Feel her body. Kiss her lips.

But you don't. Because he's standing right behind her.

For a short moment, the three of you are silent. You don't dare to look him in the eyes, so instead, you look at her. Admire her. And in the short time it takes for Andrew to break the silence, you have long seen the weariness in Cate's eyes.

"Y/N." He says formally.

"Andrew." You respond back, your eyes meet his for just a moment, before you look at Cate again.

Her eyes are fatigue, even when she gives you a smile, and invites you in. And when you step forth, she tries to show you how glad she is to see you with a smile, and you try to withhold yours as you feel Andrew's eyes burning on your face.

No handshakes are shared, only the proper request for something to drink, which you decline.

"Let's go outside." Andrew suggests, and without any needed confirmation, he turns around and walks away.

And you stand there with Cate.

You look at her, worry in your eyes as she tries to reassure you with a loving glance. She bops her head sideways, gesturing for you to follow him, and before you do, her face lights up, and she gives you a wink. Enough for you to meagerly smile, too, and you follow him, leaving behind your only form of comfort.

You follow his footsteps with apprehension, and as he opens the door that leads outside, he motions his arm for you to enter first. You stiffly smile and walk past him with unease, and when you hear the closing of a door, you turn around, and it's just you and him.

"Mind if we go for a walk?" He asks.

You shake your head, and as he begins to walk, you follow. And when he begins to talk, he mentions... nothing what you expected.

Andrew is being too nice.

"It's cloudy outside..."

Too chatty.

"...they forecasted quite a bit of sun this afternoon..."

Too peppy.

"...I don't expect to see that anymore today when you look at the sky..."

And you can't stand it.

"What are you doing?" You ask.

Andrew's brow crinkles, but he manages to keep smiling. "What are you talking about?"

"You want to talk about the weather?"

His smile flickers, fades. At last he shakes his head.

You don't know what to say. The two of you stand there, and all the falseness falls away.

Andrew looks down. "You know, I used to think that divorces could be handled in a few week." He starts to walk down the garden, talking as he goes, so you're forced to follow. "Fill in some forms, take care of some stuff here and there, and it's over with. Easy as that."