A Light in the Dark // Flicker Series Part I #wattys2019

Prologue

And no more than a 'running late' text from her.

I lost count of how many beers I had, however that night it didn't seem to even touch the edge I had.

I sat at the table in the dimly lit dining room, tapping the fork on the table and watching my phone for it to light up. It never lit up, but instead I heard the front door open and close.

"Babe?" Evie sang through the house as I heard her footsteps coming towards the dining room.

"Geez!" She squealed, palms resting over her heart. "Jaxon, what are you doing sitting in the dark?"

"I don't know Evie, it wasn't dark when I sat down and it was a bit brighter until the candles flickered out." I said sharply, frustration evident in my voice.

"Babe, i'm sorry. I didn't think I would have to work that late tonight, but—" She started to explain.

"But, Beck needed you." I said for her.

I had heard it countless times over the previous months. Anytime Beck, her boss and best friend, needed her she was there. Didn't matter the time, day or night she was there for him.

But it seemed to me that whatever they were doing for work couldn't have been so important that it had to be done at 9:00 at night on a Saturday, especially when this was the first time we had made plans in weeks.

It was killing me to even entertain the though, but I couldn't help but wonder if she was cheating on me.

Beck seemed like a nice guy, and they got along well. Evie always found it easier to make friends with guys than with girls, I should know because that's how we first started —as friends.

And as time went on and I got busier, their nights at the office seemed to get later and the smile on her face got bigger every time she talked about him or a new project they were working on.

"Beck did need me. We had a last minute conference call with someone from his label in London and it had to be done tonight. I'm sorry Jaxon, I figured you would understand." She explained and apologized, something else that I had heard a lot in recent months.

"What do I have to do to get you to need me, Evie?!" I snapped at her. "He always needs you for something! I figured planning a romantic dinner and actually being able to spend time together for the first time in weeks would be enough to get you to check out of work for a little while but I guess I was wrong!"

"Jaxon..." She said, hurt and confusion evident in the tone of her voice.

"Ya know what Evie...maybe we should just take a break." I spat, wishing I could retract the words the second the left my lips.

"What?!" She said quietly as if she couldn't believing what she was hearing, and to be honest I couldn't believe it either because what I really wanted was the exact opposite.

"I mean face it Evie. I'll be traveling next year for school, and we can't even spend any time together while i'm here so why don't we just make it easier on ourselves and take a break?" I shouted, raising my voice at her louder than I ever had before and wishing all the while that I could make myself stop.

The look on her face was my undoing. Her blue eyes bore into mine as a stream of tears ran down her face. She stood stalk still in the doorway of the dining room that she entered through moments before. Her glossy lips quivered gently, because she hated crying in front of people and even though it was just me, she had never been able to really cry in front of me without putting up a fight.

"If that's what you want..." She choked out.

I couldn't stand it a moment longer as every second she stared at me another part of me broke. I pushed past her through the small doorway and lead myself out the front door without another word.

That was goodbye.