Softening my tone, I sighed and began, "I didn't neglect you..."
But before I could finish, Lennon gently released me, his expression calm yet filled with an almost pleading softness as he stared at my eyes. "Don't argue with her, okay?"
I stared at him in disbelief, the man I thought I knew so well.
His tenderness, his care, his love… When had it no longer belonged to me?
I felt like a butterfly trapped in its own cocoon, unable to break free.
Tears welled uncontrollably in my eyes, spilling over and splattering onto the ground with a soft splat.
"Get out..." I trembled as I whispered, my voice breaking under the weight of suppressed anguish. I could not bear to lift my head.
I kept my head low until the door clicked softly as it was locked. The huge room was filled with silence and I was the only one left behind.
I touched my chest. The dull ache there throbbed inside.
Taking a few days off from the orchestra, I moved into a hotel.
During this time, Lennon’s messages kept coming without pause.
He asked about my back injury, where I was staying and how I was recovering.
But I frowned each time I read them. It was too late to laugh at his efforts now.