They Buried A Promise For Ten Years, They Broke It In Ten Minutes Chapter 09

They Buried A Promise For Ten Years, They Broke It In Ten Minutes Chapter 09

“Ms. Thompson, there’s someone at the front desk 

for you. They said they’re family.” 

The call from reception made me pause for a 

couple of seconds. 

Family? 

I went downstairs and saw Owen standing outside 

the glass door. 

He had a backpack slung over one shoulder. His hair was longer, his face thinner. 

He saw me, and his mouth twitched, but he didn’t 

smile. 

“I’m here for work. Passing through.” 

“This isn’t on your way.” 

He didn’t answer. Instead, he reached into his bag 

and pulled out an envelope. 

“Your lease ended. The landlord tried calling you 

and couldn’t get through, so I took care of it. The deposit’s been refunded to your card. This is the signed termination.” 

I took the envelope but didn’t open it. 

“Thanks.” 

“Just thanks?” 

I looked at him. 

He stood under the gray November sky in England, 

looking like he wanted something but didn’t know 

how to ask. 

“What do you want?” 

“I want you to tell me when you started wanting to 

leave.” 

I leaned against the doorframe, the cold wind 

outside. 

“Owen, if you actually wanted that answer, you should’ve asked three years ago.” 

“What happened three years ago?” 

“The first time Lily came to dinner, you gave her 

the seat next to me.” 

He frowned. 

“Over that?” 

“Not over that. Over every time after that. Every 

time you gave away my seat. Every time you acted 

like I didn’t care. Every time you said, ‘That’s just how she is.” 

He was quiet. 

“You used to be the first person to notice when I was upset,” I said. “Then you became the person who, even after I told you I was hurting, still thought I was overreacting.” 

“I-” he started. 

“You didn’t.” I finished the sentence for him. “You 

didn’t mean to hurt me. I know that. But not 

meaning to doesn’t mean you didn’t.” 

He stared at the ground for a long time. 

Then he looked up and said something I didn’t 

expect. 

“Ethan came looking for you twice, and you 

wouldn’t see him. What about me? Will you have 

dinner with me?” 

I looked at him. Ten years of friendship, and it felt 

very light in that moment. 

“No.” 

His face went blank. 

“Why?” 

“Because you didn’t come here because you 

think 

you did something wrong. You came because you don’t know how to get used to me being gone.” 

He didn’t speak. 

“Not being used to something and being sorry are 

two different things, Owen. You just miss the way 

things were.” 

He stood at the door for about ten seconds, then 

slowly nodded. 

He pulled the strap of his backpack up and turned 

away. 

He didn’t look back. 

I watched his back disappear around the corner, 

then went back to my desk. 

My coworker leaned over. “Did your family leave?” 

“Not family,” I said. “An old friend.” 

“Will he come back?” 

I shook my head. 

No. 

That evening, I opened the drawer and took out the red friendship bracelet. 

Three star–shaped silver beads gleamed under the lamplight. 

I looked at it for a moment, then dropped it in the 

trash. 

No ceremony. 

Just something I didn’t need anymore.