After I Saw His First Love, I Left

Chapter 3

Eliseo had signed up for a cram class, claiming he was putting in the work to get into the same university as Isadora for my sake. Every single day after evening self-study, he'd yank me along to attend the lessons with him.

That all shifted this Sunday, when he burst through the door of my place, arms loaded with groceries. He charged straight into the kitchen, and the whole room echoed with the clink, clatter, and clang of pots, pans, and utensils.

Before long, he walked out holding a plate of pork with sautéed bell peppers and set it right in front of me.

My brain short-circuited the second I caught a whiff of that rich, mouthwatering aroma.

Back when we had first gotten together, this had been the very first dish he'd ever cooked for me.

Eliseo pressed a fork into my hand. "Go on, try it!"

I picked up the fork and took a bite. The familiar, savory taste exploded across my tongue, and all the old memories that belonged only to the two of us slowly drifted to the front of my mind.

It had only been eleven months, but it felt like a whole lifetime had passed.

The memory of 45-year-old Eliseo popped into my head unbidden, gazing at me with such soft, devoted affection in his eyes as he said, "In my whole life, you're the only person I've ever cooked for."

My eyes stung before I could stop them, and tears pricked the corners.

Eliseo panicked immediately. "Well? Is it good or not? Why are your eyes all red out of nowhere?"

The two versions of his face blurred together in front of me. I rubbed my eyes roughly. "It's good."

I'd just lifted my hand to grab a second piece when Eliseo smacked my wrist away.

He shoveled the entire dish into a lunchbox as he spoke, "I made this specifically for Isadora. Pork with sautéed bell peppers is her favorite."

Oh. So, he'd cooked for someone else long before me.

It made sense, I guess. Isadora was the one he actually liked, after all.

I gripped my fork so hard my knuckles went white, and didn't say a word.

By that point, Eliseo had already finished packing the food. He grabbed my arm and tugged me toward the door. "What are you zoning out for? I need you to help me bring this to Isadora!"

When we reached the base of Isadora's apartment building, he stuffed the lunchbox into my hands. "Make sure you tell her I spent days perfecting this, okay? I made every bite with my own two hands, just for her."

A bitter, sour ache swelled in my chest, but I didn't argue. I just turned and walked into the apartment complex.

I'd barely made it to the third floor when I heard Isadora talking to her desk mate, Maris Keene, from the floor above.

"Isadora, you're not actually into that Eliseo guy, are you?"

Right after that, Isadora's cold, detached voice drifted over.

"I just think he's a little better looking than the other guys. That's the only reason I even bother talking to him."

"But I heard he signed up for cram classes and has been grinding nonstop lately. What if he actually gets into a top university?"

"If he actually pulls that off, I'll mess around with him for a couple of years. Grant his little wish, I guess."

Her arrogant, patronizing tone made my blood boil.

I'd seen exactly how hard Eliseo had pushed himself these past days.

Sure, his feelings were one-sided, but that didn't give Isadora the right to trample all over his heart like it was nothing.

My chest tight with rage, I stormed up the stairs two at a time and called out to Isadora right as she was about to step inside her apartment.

"Isadora! Everyone's hard work deserves respect. What gives you the right to play with Eliseo's feelings?"

Isadora froze for a split second, then replied in an icy tone, "He's enjoying every second of it. Why are you sticking your nose in his business?

"Calixta, your grades are decent, and you've got a bright future ahead of you. Stop following Eliseo around like a lost puppy, making yourself look like his doormat."

I had no comeback for that.

When I thought about it, she had a point. I'd glued myself to Eliseo's side for eleven whole months, doing whatever he asked without question. It made total sense she'd see me that way.

Bang!

Isadora slammed the door shut right in my face.

I stared down at the lunch box in my hand, then turned and trudged back the way I came.

When Eliseo saw me walking back with the lunch box still in my hand, his brows immediately furrowed. "Why didn't you give it to her?"

I darted my eyes away, not daring to meet his gaze. "Isadora wasn't home."

Eliseo stared right at me, like he was trying to catch me in a lie by scanning every inch of my face.

After a long, tense moment, he finally spoke. "Then you eat it. No point letting it go to waste."

I stared at the lunch box in my hands, a dull, aching tightness swelling in my chest.

Who would've thought the first full serving of Eliseo's homemade pulled pork with sautéed bell peppers I'd get to eat would be the one Isadora hadn't even bothered to take?

The next day…

For the first time ever, Eliseo didn't come to wake me up. I almost overslept.

I raced to class, and when I walked past Isadora's desk, she glanced at me for no obvious reason.

The sheer coldness in that look sent a shiver down my spine.

I turned around automatically to look at Eliseo, who sat right behind me.

There was a biting coldness in his eyes, the kind I had never seen before.

Before I could even process what was going on, Eliseo grabbed my wrist and dragged me straight to the stairwell.

Blistering accusations came hurtling straight at me, no warning at all.

"I don't care if Isadora likes me back or not, I'm happy hanging around her, no strings attached. Who do you think you are to yell at her? No wonder things have been moving so slowly between Isadora and me! You've been messing things up behind my back!"

My face went pale instantly. "I didn't do that!" I shot back immediately.

But Eliseo's face stayed dark and stormy. He snarled a warning, "Calixta, if you lie to me one more time, we're done for good. I never want to see you again."

With that, he shouldered past me and stormed back to the classroom.

I stood frozen to the spot for ages, forcing down the burning lump of tears in my throat before I headed back inside.

Just then, the homework monitor came around to collect assignments, and I shoved my notebook at him in a hurry.

But just a minute later, the monitor called out to me from the podium, "Calixta, why did you hand in two notebooks?"

I looked up, and my stomach dropped.

My private diary was tucked inside my homework notebook!

I panicked and lunged to grab it, but Baxter Hensley, the class troublemaker, snatched it first.

He flipped through a couple of pages, then yelled at the top of his lungs for the whole class to hear.

"Eliseo! This is Calixta's diary, she has a crush on you!"