Chapter 35: The Walk Away
294 Words
Maria chased after him the moment he stepped off the stage.
“Daniel!” she called, but he didn’t stop.
Out the door.
Down the driveway.
Into the night.
She caught up to him by the gate, heels clicking against the pavement, breath uneven.
“What was that?” she demanded. “Some dramatic exit to make me look stupid?”
Daniel turned slowly. “You’re doing a great job of that yourself.”
That stung.
“I didn’t ask you to make a speech,” she snapped.
“And I didn’t ask you to turn my heart into a circus show,” he fired back. “But here we are.”
Maria blinked. For a second, she had no words. Just the cold, ugly feeling of being exposed.
“You think I don’t know what you’re doing?” he continued. “You want to make me jealous? Hurt me? Fine. It’s working. Happy now?”
She looked away. “I never meant—”
“Yes, you did,” he cut in. “You wanted me to feel it. Just like I made you feel it. The pain. The betrayal. The doubt.”
Silence stretched between them. The only sound was the faint music still playing inside.
“I guess we’re even now,” Maria whispered.
Daniel’s voice was softer. “You think this is a game. But it stopped being one for me the day I realized I cared.”
Maria’s breath caught.
He stepped closer, but not too close. Just enough.
“But don’t worry,” he said, eyes sharp. “You’ve won.”
And with that… he walked away.
For real this time.
Leaving her at the gate with nothing but her racing heartbeat and the bitter taste of regret.
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