Page 44 of The Broken Keys

The dismissal cuts deeper than anger ever could. This clinical courtesy, this polished distance, it’s worse than shouting. It’s a door closing forever.

I stagger toward him on unsteady legs, pausing when I reach the doorway. “For what it’s worth, I never stopped loving you. Even when I was trying to.”

Something flickers across his face, gone before I can read it. “Goodbye, Livianna.”

I step into the hallway, and the door closes behind me with a soft, final click. I swallow my tears and try to put myself back together.

My phone buzzes in my purse. It’s probably Callum wondering where I am, ready to take me to breakfast, and trying to continue building something I’m not sure of.

But all I can think about is the letter I never read, the words I never saw, and the man in that office who’s probably already dialing Singapore, burying his heartbreak in spreadsheets and profit margins.

The elevator ride down feels like a descent into hell. Each floor number that lights up reminds me of climbing up with Callum this morning.

He was full of hope and possibility, and I was trying to get there. Now I'm hollow, scraped clean by truths I wasn’t expecting to hear.

Jax wrote me two pages explaining his love, his fear, and his hope for our future. And I never saw a single word.

My phone buzzes again. Callum’s name flashes on the screen with a text that makes my chest cave in further.

Callum:Found a place with outdoor seating. Perfect weather for it. Can’t wait to hear about your meeting.

Your meeting.I roll my eyes at myself.

The lie I told him so I could run to another man and scratch open wounds I didn’t know existed. This situation is a horror story happening in real time.

I find Callum at a bistro three blocks away, sitting at a corner table with his face tilted toward the sun.

He’s ordered coffee for both of us, and there’s a plate of pastries waiting as if he’s already planning to take care of me. The sight should warm me. Instead, it makes me want to disappear.

“There she is.” His smile is so genuine it hurts. “How did your call go?”

I slide into the chair across from him, my hands shaking as I reach for the coffee. “It was...difficult.”

“Work has a tendency to be like that.” He studies my face, concern creeping into his expression. “You look pale. Are you feeling okay?”

“I’m fine.” The lie tastes like sawdust.

“Lily.” His voice goes soft, the way it used to when he could read my moods like weather patterns. “What’s wrong?”

Everything.

The man I’m in love with just dismissed me from his life. I lied to you to go see him. I’ve been keeping secrets from both of you. And now I’m sitting here pretending I know what I want when I’ve never been more lost.

“Just tired.” I take a sip, hoping the caffeine will steady me.

He reaches across the table, covering my hand with his. The touch is gentle, familiar, everything Jax’s cold politeness wasn’t. But instead of comfort, I feel like a fraud.

“You know what? Let’s not talk about work.” Callum’s thumb caresses the top of my hand. “Let’s talk about us and the last couple of days.”

My stomach drops. “Callum…”

“I know we said we’d take things slow, but Lily, being with you again feels like it used to when things were good.” His blue eyes are bright with hope. “I keep thinking about that kiss in the hallway and the way you looked at me when you said we could see where this goes.”

The kiss. The same one Jax witnessed, the moment that shattered whatever chance we might have had.

“It was nice,” I manage.

“Nice?” Callum laughs, but there’s uncertainty underneath. “That’s all?”