Before being abandoned by my parents, I had experienced pure love, too. But over time, that love became mixed with other complexities. Like sugar tainted with shards of glass, sweet, but bloody.
"I'm just tired. I zoned out for a moment," I replied perfunctorily.
His phone rang and he became busy replying to messages, not noticing anything unusual about me. I whispered softly, "Nick, I'm tired. Let's go back."
Nick looked up and I caught the faint reflection in his glasses, it was a picture of a woman.
He hesitated, as if weighing something in his mind. After a moment, he finally said, "Helen, one of my business partners happens to be here. Could you head back first?"
Seeing my silence, he uneasily hooked his finger around mine, "Sorry, Helen, don't be angry. This business partner is really important. Next time, how about I take you to climb a snowy mountain?"
I shook my head. "It's okay." From now on, nothing about you will concern me anymore.
He leaned closer, intending to kiss me. "I'll be back after handling things."
Without hesitation, I turned my head away and walked off. What he was 'handling,' only he and that woman knew.