Her Bet

chapter 34

Laria

. I glanced at the clock again, its hands ticking away the precious minutes of my evening alone. This was supposed to be our night—just like all the others we had scheduled and he had casually blown off. But tonight felt different. Tonight, I  could feel my patience wearing thin.

The rapid knock on the door startled me from my thoughts. I hesitated for a moment, my heart leaping with a mix of hope and apprehension. 

With a sigh, I  composed myself and opened the door. There he stood, his messy hair slightly damp from the drizzle outside, his face flushed but his eyes betraying a hint of nervousness. For a moment, I  was drawn in by his familiar smile,  But the warmth of that smile quickly evaporated as I  remembered the countless times he had stood me up, leaving me waiting and wondering.

"Wow , what a surprise. What are you doing here?” I  asked, trying to keep my voice steady, a mix of anger and disappointment bubbling beneath the surface.

“Can we talk?” he replied, his tone solemn.

Reluctantly, I  stepped aside, allowing him to enter. The silence that filled the space around us was heavy, thick with unsaid words. I shut the door with a soft click and turned to face him, crossing my arms defensively.

“I’ve been waiting for you,”  I said, unable to bite back the bitterness in my  voice . “You keep disappearing, Danton. I don’t know what to think anymore. And I know it's not due to your mother giving birth ."

He rubbed the back of his neck, a gesture that only fueled my frustration. “I know… I’m sorry. I’ve been dealing with some stuff. It's just..."

“Just what? You can’t keep treating me like this and expecting me to just wait around for you.” The fire in my voice caught him off guard, his expression shifting. “I deserve better than this half-assed explanation.”

He stared at me, and for a moment, I  thought he might finally understand. But then he took a step forward, his eyes glinting with something that made my  stomach twist. “The audacity. ”

“What is that supposed to mean?” I  shot back, my heart racing.

. “I know about the bet.”

The words hung in the air like a grenade, ticking down to an explosion. I  felt my insides twist at the confession. “What.”

"Why?”

I felt the ground beneath me shift, like I  was teetering on the edge of a cliff. “ who told you ?”

"That's what is important to you , who the fuck told me ?!” he interrupted, his voice rising, anger lighting up his features.

“I...that was before- ,"

"Before what ? You think this is a joke ? HUH!?"

He shouts at the last word catching me off guard.

"How could you stoop  so low...for a fucking bag. You think my feelings, my body and my self respect is worth a FUCKING BAG?"

I keep quite not knowing what to say.

"ANSWER ME.!"

I've never seen him so...red....angry and the lack of sympathy on his face .

"I know you don't respect yourself Laria, but what did I ever do to you .? Why would you take something that means so much to me for....for a price . Why...why do you hate me so much . What did I do to you?"

"Danton-"

I try to touch him but he walks back.

"I swear . It was before I got to know you and...I love you Danton . I do."

I can't believe I just said that . I love him.

"Is this the way to get yourself out of this ? Telling me you love me ? I always thought the first time a girl  tells me that would be of a special moment . You just keep ruining my dreams . "

"No , it's not to fool you. I really do love you Danton , I promise. Please believe me . "

"Even if you do , it doesn't mean anything to me . "

We stood there, both breathing heavily, the tension crackling like an electric charge in the air between us. The warmth of nostalgia faded, and all that remained was an aching emptiness.

"I think we both know what's going to happen. What needs to happen." He  finally said, trembling with rage and sorrow.

"It doesn't have to . We should try Dant-"

"Don't touch me. You're disgusting." He says pulling my hand away .

"I'm sorry , please Danton give me another chance ."

"I hope it was worth it."

With that, he turned and strode towards the door, the weight of our shattered connection heavy in the silence that followed. I felt the sting of tears I  refused to let fall. It was a goodbye steeped in regrets, a full stop to the potential that had once glimmered between us.

As the door clicked shut behind him, I  sank back onto the sofa, the warmth of the lamp doing little to thaw the chill inside me. Finally the tears were set free .