Chapter 5
Whenever I saw the pictures, I kept a straight face, but my heart would still clench.
I couldn’t explain, so I just made excuses about having my own travel plans.
Most often, he posted group photos of everyone living it up at some exclusive resort.
I hung up and turned off my phone.
Sometimes it was videos of him on a yacht, other times it was lavish dinners and clubbing.
This was a huge change from his old habit of posting once every few months.
Leonardo and his friends seemed to be having the time of their lives on a long trip through Europe.
In every group photo Leonardo posted, he and Jessica were always side-by-side, practically glued together.
I reminded myself over and over: “Kira, don’t be so pathetic. Have some self-respect.”
Once this painful period is over, everything will get better.
Even though I tried to ignore it, friends would constantly forward the posts to me.
Just when I had almost stopped thinking about Leonardo, he got a new number and called me from Europe.
I purposefully kept myself busy, filling my days from dawn till dusk so I wouldn’t have
time to think.
We had no contact for a whole month.
But every time I remembered his cruel words, I would curse myself.
I definitely didn’t unblock Leonardo like he demanded.
I didn’t say a single word to him.
For some reason, he was posting on social media every single day.
Late at night, I would sometimes feel pathetic and bitter.
5 Chapter 5
During my road trip, I drove through deserts and forests to clear my head, putting on a brave face.
Still, Sophie and other friends would sometimes send me updates on him.
That spot next to him had been mine for ten years.
Except for Sophie, who would call Leonardo a jerk every time, the others all sounded hesitant when they talked to me.
He was my first love, after all, someone I had cared about for so long.
Distance and time are good medicine. I made it through the hardest part.
This was the longest we had ever gone without speaking since I’d known him.
Just hold on a little longer, just a little more.
Everyone was curious why I hadn’t gone to Europe with Leonardo.
I let out a long breath and turned to walk in the opposite direction.
From a distance, I saw Leonardo walk back to his group, his face stormy.
I suspected they had probably figured out what happened.
He grabbed Jessica’s hand, no longer hesitating, and strode toward the international departures gate.
