Broken Strings (18+)

01

My hand bumped into his when I tried to turn the car stereo on. He looked my way for a second. He brought his hand to the gear and focused on the road.

My hand went limp. His hand felt different. It was cold, almost freezing.

Something has changed.

I tried to overlook it. I didn’t want to make a fuss and spoil our night. I just shook all the negativity off my head.

I remembered that I haven’t asked him about his recent trip yet. “So, how was Thailand?”

He shook his head. “Surprisingly, it was tougher than last quarter’s tournament in Japan. We only got bronze this time,” he replied, ashamed. Typical Storm. He loves his sport so much. Whenever he loses a game, his heart gets broken. If I weren’t a smart or mature girlfriend, I’d be jealous of his love for soccer.

“It’s alright, honey. There’s always a next time for that gold.” I feigned optimism to comfort him.

I guess I failed to cheer him up though. “Yeah, I guess,” he replied, without even the slightest hint of a smile.

The silence that soon followed was killing me. “So, where are you taking me tonight?” I would prefer keeping the element of surprise, but I couldn’t think of a better thing to say.

“I made reservations to your favorite restaurant.”

Again?! I mean, I really appreciate the effort. It is heart-warming that your boyfriend knows the places that you like. But come on! It’ll be our sixth consecutive anniversary date on that damn place. After tonight, I’m sure I’ll start to hate that restaurant even though they serve the best French cuisine in town.

A deafening silence ensued, and I just found ourselves in front of that damned French restaurant. After turning the engine off, Storm went out of the car. I was expecting him to open the door for me, but it didn’t happen. I looked around and saw him near the restaurant's entrance. He was looking at my direction. Was that impatience painted on his face?

My chest tightened. He never showed me that look no matter how frustrating I get sometimes. He also never failed to act like a gentleman before. He always did those little gestures that make my heart flutter. What the hell happened to my Storm?

I dabbed the corners of my eyes with my hanky. I calmed my nerves before getting out of the car. As soon as I shut the door, I heard the alarm. I took a deep breath before walking toward my boyfriend.

The same maitre d’ that has been welcoming us for years escorted us to our usual table. I had seen the guy too many times already that I already memorized his uniform – button count, cloth type, and what-not. I hated the fact that I couldn’t do anything but remember those petty details. That’s just the downside of being Mischa Brillantes. Yes, there is one. I’m human, after all.

That’s also the reason why I couldn’t get Storm’s earlier expression out of my head. That momentary look on his face was already etched in my memory. I couldn’t forget it, even though I wanted to. To make things worse, my mind’s been building it up into an issue.

And so, I ate the best dishes Storm had ordered for me and drank the best wine, yet I don’t feel stuffed at all. On the contrary, I felt so empty.

Whenever we’d go out to eat, I always leave the menu selection to Storm. He knew my favorites, my allergies, my distastes. He knew every little thing about me.

As I look at him now, why do I feel like I don’t know him at all? Why does my heart tell me that the man in front of me is no longer the guy I’d begun to love twelve years ago?