After the echo

Ophelias the crash

I rush to get into my car, desperate to get out of there. It was supposed to be the quickest way to get my car fixed, Lucas insisted I take a “me day.” He even booked me a spa appointment at the resort in the next town over. He’s been so distant lately, and I’ve started to miss him. Today is the only day I have off until next month. He’s been wrapped up in meetings and work trips, and even when I finally get a day off, like today, he’s still too busy. But this time, he wasn’t. He just… pushed me off. Said he needed alone time to finish up some meetings. Seeing Bane brought up so many emotions I didn’t want to feel. Bane and I, we were perfect. We had plans. Big ones. We were going to finish school, get real careers. He wanted to give us a great life. I should’ve gone to dance school. But then he got sick. He spent so much time in the hospital. And when his mom got worse, he just… gave up. Now he treats me like I’m nothing. Like I never mattered. We used to talk about having kids, about living in a big house. And now I’m married to his best friend, all because of my mother’s manipulation. Lucas is a great husband, but something’s changed between us. We talked, and he doesn’t want kids. Not for a few more years. Even though both our families are pressuring us to start one. I pull into the spa parking lot, already feeling the tension creeping back into my neck. I grab my purse, digging for my phone and realize it’s not there. This day just keeps getting worse. Now I have to go back to the shop and they’re probably already closed. Sure enough, when I pull up, all the lights are off. Bane is outside, locking the door. Perfect. The last person I want to see again today. “Hey, Bane! I think I left my phone here. Do you think I could run in and grab it?” I call, trying my best to give him the most pitiful puppy-dog look I can manage. He smirks, lips twitching upward, and turns toward his car, unlocking it. Ignoring me. “My phone, Bane! I really need it!” I protest, walking toward him. “You should’ve thought about that before you left it,” he says, stepping toward his car door. I grab his arm before he can get in. My fingers are shaking. “Please, Bane. I need it for work. You can be hateful tomorrow.” He lets out a deep chuckle. “You have to be oblivious if you think this is me being hateful. This is nothing.” He yanks his arm free. “I’ll be on my way now.” I just stand there, heat rising in my throat, and for a split second, I hate him. But even more than that, I hate how much I don’t. I don’t even think before I blurt out, “You used to care.” He stops halfway into his car, his hand gripping the door. “What?” I swallow hard, regretting it, but the words are already spilling out. “You used to care if I was okay. If I needed help. Now it’s like I never even mattered to you.” He shuts the car door and turns to face me, his expression unreadable. “Don’t put this on me. You left too.” “I didn’t have a choice!” I shout, louder than I meant to. My voice echoes against the empty lot. “My mom gave me one way out, and I took it.” “And that way just happened to be marrying my best friend?” he snaps. That stings. My chest tightens. “You weren’t there for me anymore, Bane. You gave up. On yourself. On us.” For a second, his face softens, like he’s remembering too. Then it’s gone. “You want the damn phone or not?” I nod. He unlocks the shop without another word. I follow him in, the space dim and silent. I find my phone near the front desk and grab it, but something on the wall catches my eye. It’s a photo. Torn, old, but familiar. Us. Me in his hoodie, him with his arm around my shoulders. We were laughing. Happy. Before everything went to hell. “Why did you keep this?” I whisper. He doesn’t answer. I don’t even think he heard me. But as I turn to leave, I swear I see his jaw clench and that tells me everything.When we get to the office, I can hear my phone ringing and multiple texts buzzing all at once. I rush forward, pushing past Bane without thinking, and grab my phone from the desk. My hands are shaking as I answer, breathless. “Hello?” “Hi, is this Mrs. Marshall?” “Yes, this is, who is this?” Her next words hit like a truck. “This is the hospital. Your husband was in an accident. We need you to come in immediately.” My stomach drops. I can feel the panic flood my chest like ice water. “I’m on my way,” I say quickly before hanging up. My eyes meet Bane’s across the room. He looks frozen, watching me with an expression I can’t read.My breath catches in my throat as I stare at Bane, phone still trembling in my hand. I can’t move. Can’t think. “What happened?” he asks, voice low but steady. “Lucas… he was in an accident,” I manage, barely getting the words out. My hands are already searching for my keys, fumbling through my purse like they’re buried in concrete. “I have to go, I have to-” I drop the keys once, twice, curse under my breath, and finally scoop them up. Bane steps forward. “You’re shaking. You shouldn’t drive.” “I’m fine,” I snap, too fast, too harsh. He doesn’t flinch. “Let me take you.” “Bane-” “You’re not fine.” He’s already walking to the door, holding it open. I don’t have time to argue. I just move. We don’t speak on the way to the car. I climb into the passenger seat, heart pounding so loud I can barely hear the engine start. As he pulls onto the road, I grip the edge of the seat with white knuckles, eyes burning. I’m terrified. I’m numb. And Bane’s right there, close enough to touch, but I’ve never felt farther from control.