After I Saw His First Love, I Left

Chapter 8

Ever since that night, Eliseo had not spoken a single word to me.

Even when our eyes accidentally met, all I got was a scathing eye roll from him.

This time, I didn't shamelessly chase after him begging for forgiveness like I used to. I just counted down the seconds quietly.

Time flew by, and soon it was December 31.

Our senior year Class 1 had the final headline slot at the New Year's Eve performance that night.

By the time we finished our act, it was already 11 p.m.

Our classmates organized a barbecue outing by the river. They walked ahead, chattering in little clusters of two and three, while I dragged my feet alone all the way to the end of the group.

A gust of wind swept past, and soft, fluffy snowflakes drifted down from the gray sky.

I tilted my head up, only to find Eliseo standing right in front of me out of nowhere.

He glared at me, his eyes heavy and unreadable. "Calixta, what are you hiding from me this time?"

What was I hiding from him?

Oh, I'd hidden a whole lot. Like how I'd cried all night the day we had our falling out.

Like how I'd finally talked myself into letting him go for good, planning to go back to my own timeline and forget him entirely.

Like how the second the clock struck midnight that night, I'd be gone forever...

I glanced at the classmates who'd already walked far ahead, then fixed my eyes on Eliseo's face.

"I'm sorry I tricked you with a fake Chatter account. Isadora wouldn't give me her Chatter ID, and I didn't want you to be upset, so I added you with my alternate account instead. I know you're mad at me, hate me, can't stand me. But don't worry, I'll never lie to you again. I'm not even asking you to forgive me. I just hope you'll take good care of yourself from now on.

"Even if you're swamped with schoolwork, remember to eat on time, don't starve yourself into getting a stomach ulcer. If you feel sick, go to the hospital right away. Don't put off getting treatment, no matter how small you think the problem is. Be careful when you cross the street or drive, too. Some people don't care about traffic rules at all..." I rambled on and on.

Eliseo's expression shifted slightly, and a flash of rare unease crossed his brow. "What's with all this random sappy stuff? I know how to take care of my own business."

I pressed my lips together, dropping my gaze to hide the tight, bittersweet ache in my chest. "Hmm. You're already really amazing on your own, you know? Don't put yourself down just because Isadora has better grades. And one more thing... if you don't end up with her, don't go chasing some girl who looks just like her... It's not fair to that other girl."

I braced myself for a sharp lecture from Eliseo, but he just stared at me, his eyes clouded with a hesitation I couldn't make sense of.

After a long beat, he spoke, "That was just a stupid offhand comment I made that day. I'd never do something that irresponsible."

Too bad that's exactly what he ended up doing later.

But none of that mattered anymore.

I gave him a soft, relieved smile and tugged my scarf tighter around my neck. "I'm feeling a little under the weather, so I'm going to head home first. Go catch up with the others, yeah?"

With that, I turned to leave.

But the next second, Eliseo grabbed my wrist, his warm palm closing around it with a soft, sudden thud of my own pulse in my ears.

"Calixta, what the hell are you getting at? Can you stop beating around the bush? Yeah, I'm mad you lied to me, but who wouldn't be? We've got years of history between us, for Christ's sake, so we fought. Who cares?

"You haven't said a single word to me in two whole weeks. You're the one who messed up, so am I supposed to be the one to cave first?" His voice was tight with urgency, and his grip on my wrist tightened too.

My eyes pricked with heat, and I caved, forcing out the long-overdue apology I'd been holding in. "I'm sorry."

I heard his breath grow heavier, but he didn't let go of my hand.

"I'll walk you home."

I pulled my hand away without even thinking, turning him down flat. "No need. I want to walk alone for a bit."

Eliseo was about to say something else when Isadora, of all people, called out to him from up ahead. For once, she was initiating conversation with him, no attitude to be found.

"Eliseo! Hurry up, you two, we're way ahead!"

He didn't glance back, didn't even bother to answer. He just held my gaze, his voice tight with unspoken worry. "Be careful on the way back, okay? Stick to the main roads."

I nodded, watching until he'd melted back into the group of our classmates before turning and walking the other way.

I stared at the twinkling lights in the distance, and out of nowhere, I thought of what Eliseo looked like right before he died.

Back then, he was lying on the operating table, covered in blood.

The second I burst through the operating room doors, the man who'd been clinging to life by a thread flatlined out of nowhere, his heartbeat stopped cold the moment he saw me.

The doctor said, "Mr. Ashford suffered ruptured internal organs and intracranial hemorrhage. He should never have survived the ride to the hospital for emergency treatment, but he kept calling out 'Calixta' the whole way and held on until now. I think he wanted to see you one last time before he left."

That day, I held his body, and I cried so hard it felt like I'd used up every tear I had left for my entire life.

I stopped in my tracks and tilted my head up to look at the hands on the old clock tower in the distance.

11:57.

Cinderella's magic vanishes the second midnight strikes.

Just like that, when the clock hits twelve, I'll disappear from Eliseo's world for good.

'Eliseo, I've gotten to be part of your future, I've been part of your past, I loved you, and I resented you too. I have no regrets left. I just hope you live a safe, happy life in this world. This time around, let's never cross paths again in the future.'

The snow came down harder and harder, soft white flakes swirling through the air.

End of Calixta's POV

Eliseo glanced distractedly over his shoulder in the direction she'd left.

He couldn't shake the feeling that everything she'd said to him just now was off. It made his chest twist with a weird, unnameable panic he couldn't shake...

"What's wrong with you? You look super distracted, like you've got something heavy on your mind," Isadora, who was walking next to him, asked.

Eliseo snapped back to reality. He just grunted a quiet "Mm" and didn't say anything else.

Right then, the class monitor suddenly spoke up, "It's a shame Calixta had to leave early. I was even planning to throw her a little send-off party tonight, y'know?"

Eliseo froze, his blood running cold. "What send-off party?"

"I went to the office to drop off homework yesterday, and I heard the teacher on the phone with Calixta's mom. She's transferring out of the city, leaving right after tonight's performance. She's never coming back."