It took everything not to laugh at her mock concern, her tone just patronizing enough to remind me that, in her mind, I was merely the complication between her and Desar. My heart hardened, the small cracks from the past months widening with every second I sat at that table, feeling like an outsider among his closest friends.
I excused myself as the evening stretched on, stepping out onto the balcony to escape the suffocating atmosphere. The cool air was a relief, and for a brief moment, I let myself acknowledge the truth I’d been running from. Desar’s life, his world, was one where I would always be on the sidelines, and Elize would always be at the center, like a magnetic force pulling him back, time and again.
A few minutes later, Desar joined me, shutting the door quietly behind him. “What’s wrong?” he asked, voice low. “You’ve been distant all evening.”
I shook my head, refusing to look at him. “Nothing’s wrong. I just don’t belong here, Desar.” I finally met his gaze, letting him see the weight of what I’d realized. “Not here, not with you, not anymore.”
His jaw tightened. “Maisie, you’re overreacting.”