Chapter 5 - The Empty Counter
Maya lowered her hand slowly, the phone feeling like a block of ice against her damp palm. The boutique was dead silent except for the low hum of the ceiling vents. The mirror platform beneath her feet reflected a fractured version of her face—pale, mascara-streaked, and entirely lost in the expensive white silk of a dress that suddenly felt like a trap.
"He hung up on you," Zoe said, stating the obvious as she walked over from the ottoman, her denim jacket swishing softly. She looked down at the bruised pink peonies on the floor, then up at Maya. "Well, that was a disaster. A complete, unmitigated disaster."
"He told me I have a decision to make," Maya whispered, her voice shaking as she stepped down from the round mirror platform, the heavy train of the dress catching slightly on the edge of the glass.
"And what does that even mean?" Zoe asked, throwing her hands up in frustration. "Does he want you to fly to him? Does he want to meet up? Or was that his way of telling you to fix your own mess?"
"I don't know," Maya said, her mind spinning. She walked past the racks of tulle and lace toward the front counter where Isaiah had left his ring.
The glass display case was empty except for a small leather box. Maya reached out with trembling fingers and lifted the lid. Inside, resting against the black velvet lining, was Isaiah’s platinum band. Beside it was a small white card, written in his neat, precise architect’s handwriting: I never wanted to be your safety net, Maya. I wanted to be your home. Find out which one you actually wanted before you say I do.
Maya dropped the card as if it had burned her. The words hit her harder than Corey’s harsh logic or Zoe’s sharp reprimands. Isaiah hadn't just walked away in a fit of rage; he had systematically dismantled their entire future with quiet, dignified precision, leaving her standing alone in a room full of expensive clothes.
"Zoe," Maya said, her voice dropping to a terrifyingly calm register. "We need to leave."
"Leave? Where are we going? Your parents arrive in twelve hours!" Zoe protested, picking up her half-empty coffee cup.
May you like
"We're going to his apartment," Maya said, turning toward the fitting room exit with a sudden, desperate resolve in her eyes. "If Isaiah isn't there, I'm calling off the wedding publicly tonight."
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