I clenched my jaw and hit redial. Voicemail.

“You better answer me, Pearl,” I muttered under my breath. “You don’t get to pull this disappearing act like you’re the victim.”

I stared down at her last message, still sitting there like a slap across the face. “You’re cordially invited to my wedding.” She knew exactly what she was doing when she wrote that. Not a fight. Not a curse. Just a clean, cold stab. I was pacing the room when Luther showed up, leaning against the doorway like this was all just a joke to him.

“She’ll come back,” he said, arms crossed, chewing on one of those stupid toothpicks he always had in his mouth. “She always does.”

I turned to him, sharp. “What if she doesn’t this time?”

Luther shrugged like I was being dramatic. “Nah. She’s obsessed with you, man. Don’t let that text fool you. That girl’s still in love. Can’t stay away.”

I didn’t reply. Just kept pacing. The thing about Pearl – she was predictable until she wasn’t.

We picked up Lavenia later that afternoon. She was fresh out of the hospital, walking slow, bundled in some oversized coat that made her look smaller than she already was. Luther carried her bag; I opened the car door for her. It felt like we were handling glass.

When we got to her place, it was warm and sweet-smelling. Velvet curtains, candles burning low, soft light everywhere. I helped her into bed, and she clutched my hand like I was the only steady thing left in the world.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, eyes full of tears. “It’s my fault. Pearl hates you now. She thinks I’m trying to steal you or… or that I hurt her somehow. But I didn’t, Jacob. I swear I didn’t. And now she’s going to leave you forever. She’s going to forget you.”

Her voice broke, and she cried harder, pressing her forehead to the back of my hand. I didn’t pull away, but I didn’t say anything either.

“She’s not leaving me,” I said finally. “Not for good.”

Lavenia blinked up at me. “But what about that man… the one who pulled her out of the sea? I think I saw him. He was the man at the hospital too, I think. I recognized his eyes.”

I frowned. “Damn her!”

“I don’t know his name,” she said softly, “but the way he looked at her – it wasn’t casual. It was deep. Real. Like… like he’s been waiting years just to be near her.”

Luther scoffed from the corner of the room. “So she’s been messing around behind your back? While playing loyal to you? Damn. That’s low. That’s real low.”

Lavenia added, quietly, “Maybe she never loved you the way you thought. Maybe she was always going to leave. Maybe this was just the first excuse.”

I felt something snap in my chest. Not heartbreak – no, that’s not what this was. This was fury. Tight, white-hot fury.

I grabbed my phone again. Called her one more time. Voicemail.

I didn’t say anything this time. Just stared at the screen for a long moment before I muttered to myself, “I don’t care. She’ll be back. Kneeling. In three days. Always does.”

Luther smirked. “You sure about that?”

I didn’t answer.

Lavenia reached for me again, her fingers soft around my wrist. “I’ll be here, Jacob,” she said, all breathy and sweet. “Even when she’s not.”

I didn’t even look at her. Because all I could see was Pearl – walking away like I was nothing. And I was going to make damn sure she regretted that.

I spent the whole damn day pretending like I didn’t care. I lounged on the couch, feet up, flipping channels I wasn’t even watching, while my phone sat face-down beside me. It buzzed once. Not her. Spam. I didn’t flinch.

“She’s just trying to get attention,” I muttered, loud enough for Luther to hear from the kitchen. “She wants me to chase. Let her wait for once.”

Luther didn’t look up from his protein shake. “Sure, bro. Keep tellin’ yourself that. Meanwhile, you’ve been glancing at that phone every two minutes like it’s a Bible.”

“Shut up.”

“Okay.” He held up his hands, smirking. “I’m just sayin’, Pearl’s gone and our sweet little Lavenia’s still here. Might be time to switch brands.”

I didn’t even look up, but I heard Lavenia’s footsteps before I saw her. She walked in wearing one of those silky robes she always seems to magically own, carrying a mug of coffee with both hands like it was something holy.

“I made you this,” she said, placing it down in front of me with a soft smile that could melt an enemy.

I glanced at it, then at her. “You know I take two sugars.”

“I know,” she said. “I stirred it in already.”

She lingered. Close. Too close. I could smell her shampoo – jasmine and something too soft for my world.

“You hungry?” I asked, stretching my neck and cracking my knuckles. “I’ll cook something.”

Her eyes lit up like I just proposed marriage. “Really? You’d cook for me?”

“Sure,” I shrugged. “What do you like?”

“Steak. My fave,” she whispered, like it was a secret. “Medium rare. Just like yours.”

“Of course it is.”

Chapter 10.

I got up and headed to the kitchen, tossing my phone behind me like I wasn’t going to check it again ten seconds later. By the time the steak was done, and Lavenia was curled up at the table watching me like I was some Greek god, I’d already snuck three glances at my phone. Still nothing. No messages. No Pearl. Fuck her.

Day Two.

I woke up irritated. Phone dry. Mouth dry. Pride hanging by a damn thread. I did what any rational man would do – I checked her socials. Nothing. No posts. No stories. Not even a selfie. The girl who used to upload everything from her coffee to her damn toenail polish had turned into a ghost.

I called one of her friends, played it casual.

“Hey,” I said, leaning against the balcony railing. “You seen Pearl around?”

The girl paused. “She left the city.”

“What?”

“Didn’t tell me where. She just… left.”

I hung up without saying goodbye.

Luther was in the living room again, lounging like he lived there. He looked up at me, popped a chip in his mouth, and said, “Starting to sweat?”

I threw the glass in my hand against the wall. It shattered like my patience.