His Heart Belonged to Her First
Chapter 8: The Watches
Because not long after, someone brought in a gift from outside.
It was from Lillian. A watch—expensive, the same brand Caleb always wore.
I’d given him a watch too, but I couldn’t afford that brand. Mine was nice, but not luxury. He glanced at mine, had someone put it away. Lillian’s, he stared at for ages, holding the strap so tight his knuckles went white. His eyes were dark, lost. Finally, he put her watch on.
Someone snapped a photo, posted it in their group chat: Lillian has great taste, no wonder Caleb never got over her.
I wasn’t supposed to see it, but Caleb’s cousin—a little too excited—shoved her phone in my face. “Look! They’re perfect together.”
On the screen, Lillian replied: [As long as he likes it. Watch over him for me, don’t let him drink too much.]
Everyone started clapping and making a fuss. I pressed myself against the wall, the thump of bass rattling my teeth as everyone else cheered. I clapped too, just to blend in.
At the bottom of the gift box was a card, handwriting neat and careful: [Though far apart, our friendship is deep as the clouds and sea.]
Caleb paused, holding the card, hand stiff. He looked like he might fall apart. Then, all at once, he seemed to snap back, eyes scanning the room until he found me. Our eyes met across the crowd.
I forced a smile, even as my stomach dropped. I mouthed, “Happy birthday.”
He relaxed a little, but didn’t ask me to cut the cake with him. Soon, his friends were drunk and wild. No one talked to me, so I just watched from the edge.
At the end, his brother helped him upstairs. I didn’t follow. I planned to leave without a word.
Breakups don’t have to be face-to-face.
As I was about to go, his brother chased me down, searching the crowd, then pressed a key card into my hand. “Caleb’s waiting for you upstairs. Go keep him company.”
I knew him—Derek, Caleb’s closest friend, the one I actually knew best out of the group. But he never thought much of me. To him, I was just another name in Caleb’s long list, never the real thing. The real one was coming back. Looking like her didn’t matter.
