Broken Strings

C H A P T E R T E N

"They spent the night looking up at the sky.
'Why are the stars so far away, when they're so beautiful?' she asked.
He told her that 'beautiful things, no matter the distance,
can always be felt.'"

- S.B.

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Andrew smiled faintly as Anisha pulled away and left him all alone in the center of the ballroom. A sad and pathetic smile indeed.

There was only one thing that mattered. And that was she hadn't let him kiss her. She had pulled away.

Right when he wanted to pull her closer. And show her that he would change. For her. For them.

But what had he expected? That she would kiss him and confess how much she loved him? That was, if she even still did.

Because he just wasn't so sure anymore. Because for some reason, things seemed different. And this time, he just wasn't sure he could convince her to stay anymore.

He was a pathetic excuse of a husband. And she could do far better than him. So why would she still even want him, especially after all the pain and heartbreak he had forced her to endure.

Because he had failed her. In every way possible. Over and over again.

Frustrated, he ran a hand through his hair. He needed a drink, a strong one. And maybe someone to spend the night with.

He needed someone to take his mind off of her. He needed to forget about her.

His eyes slowly glanced across the room, looking for Amanda. Smirking, he motioned for her to follow him out.

But first he had to greet his parents, the ones he had successfully avoided all night.

To say his relationship with his parents was strained would be an understatement. Just like his marriage, he had also fucked up his relationship with his mother and father.

Because it was easier to blame them for his problems.

Just like he hated Anisha for what she had done.

But she was still his wife. And he loved her with all the broken pieces of his heart.

Miserable, miserable, miserable. He was fucking miserable.

He greeted his parents, talking to them formally, as if they were strangers. They practically were. Just like Anisha, he had pushed them out of his life, only keeping in touch for convenience.

"Mother." He gave his mother a nod and then turned to his dad. "Father. I had a great time but I need to leave a little early. I have a meeting at 6 tomorrow." He kept his gaze on his mother. She looked so much like his sister. And how she had bounced back from the loss of her daughter was a complete mystery for Andrew.

Because fourteen years later and he still missed his sister.

"Why are you leaving without your wife and your kids? And where is Anisha? I haven't seen her all evening." Andrew snapped his gaze to his father. His father always had a soft spot for Anisha. And during the early days of their marriage, his father had often joked that he loved Anisha more than Andrew.

"She's getting something to eat and she wants to stay a little longer. I'll send someone to pick her up. I really need to go. Goodbye." That was it. This was what he was like. Cold and cut-off. Even with his parents. And he didn't know what else to say.