long without seeing Kendall since they’d first started dating. Their few attempts at communicating had ended with Melanie feeling guilty, then trying to convince herself she shouldn’t. Kendall seemed to still hope she would change her mind about the breakup and she didn’t want to encourage that, but they had to have a certain degree of interaction until they sorted everything out.
And she wasn’t heartless. Certainly she still cared about her. Kendall looked tired and Melanie wanted to smooth away the smudges of fatigue around her eyes. But it wasn’t her place to offer comfort. And despite the remorse she felt for causing Kendall such distress, she didn’t have a trace of regret for the decision she’d made. As soon as their personal business was separated, she planned to keep her distance, hoping a clean break would help them both heal.
“I’m here to pick up some things.” Kendall’s cool tone indicated this was not a social call.
She stepped back, waited until they came in, then closed the door behind them. As they passed, she noticed the familiar spicy perfume she would forever associate with Kendall.
“Hey, Mel.” Evelyn followed Kendall inside, though she looked as if she would rather be anywhere else. She barely made eye contact and had her hands shoved so deeply in her jeans that Melanie was surprised they hadn’t bored holes in the pockets. Melanie longed to calm her obvious worry as well.
“I was hoping you would come over when we can sit down together and talk. We should go over the finances in person,” Melanie said.
“I’m on my way to work. I don’t have time for that today.”
“But you assumed I would have time for you to just show up without calling?” Irritation overshadowed her compassion.
“What? I’m supposed to call before coming to my own home now? Besides, I didn’t think you’d be here.”
“I had a meeting with a client this morning and dropped by for lunch. I was just about to head out to the job site.”
“Well, I don’t need your help packing anything, so you’re free to go.”
“I talked to the apartment manager about switching the lease into my name.”
“Why do you automatically get the apartment?”
“You haven’t said you wanted it. If you do, I’ll start looking for another one.”
Kendall looked around, disdain painting her features. “I don’t.”
Melanie sighed, exhausted with Kendall’s passive-aggressive game.
“I’m going to wait outside,” Evelyn blurted into the tense silence.
“You don’t have to.”
“I want to. Let me know when you’re ready to start packing things in the car.” Evelyn didn’t wait for agreement before she crossed the room and headed out the front door.
“Fine. I won’t be long.” Kendall strode toward the bedroom.
After Evelyn left, Melanie followed Kendall and picked up the thread of their previous conversation. “I’m just trying to figure out what the next step is, Kendall. We need to make some practical decisions, and I’m not sure how long we should wait.” More than anything, she needed the closure of disentangling their lives.
“Keep the money, Melanie. All of it.” Kendall took a suitcase down from the closet shelf and opened it on the bed. She opened a drawer and emptied it into the bag, seemingly with no regard to the actual contents.
“We saved that money together. It’s half yours and you are going to take it.”
“No. I’m not.”
“You are. I won’t have you telling everyone I left you with nothing.”
“What difference does it make? You left me . Whether it was with nothing or with everything makes no fucking difference.”
Melanie’s body went cold and her limbs felt weak, but she stood her ground. “If you need to make me the bad guy, go ahead. But there were two of us in the relationship. The fault isn’t mine alone.”
“Don’t you have someplace to be?” Kendall didn’t look up from her packing.
Melanie stared at her a moment longer before
And she wasn’t heartless. Certainly she still cared about her. Kendall looked tired and Melanie wanted to smooth away the smudges of fatigue around her eyes. But it wasn’t her place to offer comfort. And despite the remorse she felt for causing Kendall such distress, she didn’t have a trace of regret for the decision she’d made. As soon as their personal business was separated, she planned to keep her distance, hoping a clean break would help them both heal.
“I’m here to pick up some things.” Kendall’s cool tone indicated this was not a social call.
She stepped back, waited until they came in, then closed the door behind them. As they passed, she noticed the familiar spicy perfume she would forever associate with Kendall.
“Hey, Mel.” Evelyn followed Kendall inside, though she looked as if she would rather be anywhere else. She barely made eye contact and had her hands shoved so deeply in her jeans that Melanie was surprised they hadn’t bored holes in the pockets. Melanie longed to calm her obvious worry as well.
“I was hoping you would come over when we can sit down together and talk. We should go over the finances in person,” Melanie said.
“I’m on my way to work. I don’t have time for that today.”
“But you assumed I would have time for you to just show up without calling?” Irritation overshadowed her compassion.
“What? I’m supposed to call before coming to my own home now? Besides, I didn’t think you’d be here.”
“I had a meeting with a client this morning and dropped by for lunch. I was just about to head out to the job site.”
“Well, I don’t need your help packing anything, so you’re free to go.”
“I talked to the apartment manager about switching the lease into my name.”
“Why do you automatically get the apartment?”
“You haven’t said you wanted it. If you do, I’ll start looking for another one.”
Kendall looked around, disdain painting her features. “I don’t.”
Melanie sighed, exhausted with Kendall’s passive-aggressive game.
“I’m going to wait outside,” Evelyn blurted into the tense silence.
“You don’t have to.”
“I want to. Let me know when you’re ready to start packing things in the car.” Evelyn didn’t wait for agreement before she crossed the room and headed out the front door.
“Fine. I won’t be long.” Kendall strode toward the bedroom.
After Evelyn left, Melanie followed Kendall and picked up the thread of their previous conversation. “I’m just trying to figure out what the next step is, Kendall. We need to make some practical decisions, and I’m not sure how long we should wait.” More than anything, she needed the closure of disentangling their lives.
“Keep the money, Melanie. All of it.” Kendall took a suitcase down from the closet shelf and opened it on the bed. She opened a drawer and emptied it into the bag, seemingly with no regard to the actual contents.
“We saved that money together. It’s half yours and you are going to take it.”
“No. I’m not.”
“You are. I won’t have you telling everyone I left you with nothing.”
“What difference does it make? You left me . Whether it was with nothing or with everything makes no fucking difference.”
Melanie’s body went cold and her limbs felt weak, but she stood her ground. “If you need to make me the bad guy, go ahead. But there were two of us in the relationship. The fault isn’t mine alone.”
“Don’t you have someplace to be?” Kendall didn’t look up from her packing.
Melanie stared at her a moment longer before
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