The Love We Left Behind

The scent of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, mingling with the light fragrance of vanilla that clung to Rose's skin. The morning sun filtered through the lace curtains, casting golden patterns across the small but cozy apartment she shared with her mother. It was a quiet morning, the kind she had come to cherish-just her, her mother's gentle humming from the kitchen, and the warm anticipation of seeing Julian later.

She glanced at her phone, a soft smile curling on her lips as she reread the last message he had sent her late last night:

Julian: Dream of me, love. I'll pick you up at five.

Her heart did a small, silly flip. Even after four years of dating, Julian still had that effect on her. He was the kind of man who made love feel effortless-warm, steady, and all-consuming.

A knock on the front door startled her from her thoughts. She hurried to open it, expecting it to be the landlady or one of the neighbors, but her breath caught the moment she saw who stood there.

"Antonio?" Her voice wavered slightly.

Antonio DeLuca was the last person she expected to see on her doorstep. Dressed in his usual crisp black suit, his dark eyes held an intensity that made her uneasy. He was a powerful man, the kind who never wasted time on things that didn't serve him. And yet, here he was.

"Rose." His voice was low, careful. "I need to talk to you. It's about your mother."

The warmth in her chest turned to ice.

"What happened? Did something-"

"She's still stable," Antonio interrupted, reading the fear in her eyes. "But the hospital bills-" He hesitated. "It's getting worse, Rose. You need to make a decision soon."

Her stomach twisted. She knew this. Every night, she lay awake, trying to figure out how to come up with the money. Her mother had worked tirelessly to give her a decent life, but now, the same woman who once held everything together was fading before her eyes.

"I'll handle it," she said, though her voice lacked conviction.

Antonio exhaled, shaking his head. "You're running out of time."

"I said I'll handle it."

She shut the door before he could say anything else.

Leaning against it, she squeezed her eyes shut. The truth was, she didn't know how to handle it. The hospital bills were already beyond what she could afford, and she refused to let her mother see just how much she was struggling.

She needed a miracle.

And Julian...

Her fingers tightened around her phone. Julian would help if she told him. She knew that. He came from wealth-his family was powerful in the business world, and he wouldn't hesitate to do anything for her. But that was the problem.

She had seen what money did to people, how it could turn love into an obligation. Julian loved her, but if she told him about her mother's condition, would he help out of love or guilt? Would he feel trapped, responsible for her problems?

He had a bright future ahead of him. A future that didn't deserve to be weighed down by her struggles.

Her phone buzzed again.

Julian: Can't wait to see you, my love. I have something special planned.

Tears burned the back of her eyes.

She had to protect him. Even if it meant breaking her own heart.

Tonight would be perfect. The last perfect night before she let him go.

-

The restaurant was dimly lit, the soft hum of classical music filling the air as Julian reached across the table, his fingers brushing against Rose's hand.

"You're quiet tonight," he murmured, his blue eyes studying her carefully. "Something wrong?"

Rose forced a smile, shaking her head. "No, I'm just... taking it all in."

Julian leaned closer, a slow grin spreading across his face. "Are you sure? Because I know that look."

"What look?"

"The look you get when you're thinking too much. Like right now."

She laughed softly, but her heart ached. How could he know her so well? How was she supposed to let him go when he was the only person who ever truly saw her?

Julian reached into his pocket, and for a split second, Rose thought she saw the glint of something silver. But before he could pull it out, his phone rang.

He sighed, giving her an apologetic look. "Give me one second, love."

She nodded, watching as he stepped away to take the call.

Her hands clenched in her lap.

She knew what she had to do.

When Julian returned, she smiled brightly, pretending nothing was wrong. But deep inside, she was already breaking.

Tonight was the beginning of the end.

Rose watched Julian from across the table, memorizing every detail of him-the way his dark brown hair always seemed effortlessly tousled, the sharp lines of his jaw, the way his lips curled slightly even when he wasn't smiling. He was handsome, devastatingly so, but it wasn't just his looks that made her heart ache.

It was the way he looked at her like she was the only person in the room.

The way he made love feel like the easiest thing in the world.

And after tonight, she would have to destroy it.

She could feel the small velvet box burning a hole in his pocket. He hadn't taken it out yet, but she knew. She saw the way his fingers kept brushing against it, the way his eyes held something deeper, something filled with nervous excitement.

He was going to propose tonight.

Her chest tightened.

She couldn't let him.

Not when her world was crumbling and his was only beginning to bloom.

Julian reached for her hand again, his thumb stroking over her skin. "You know, you still haven't told me how your day was."

Rose forced a smile. "It was good. Just-" She hesitated. "I was thinking a lot about us."

His lips twitched. "And what conclusion did you come to?"

Her throat tightened. "That I love you."

Something flickered in his eyes, a soft warmth that made her stomach twist painfully.

"You're acting strange, Rose," he murmured. "Is there something I should know?"

Tell him.

Tell him that your mother is sick. That the bills are piling up. That you don't know how to fix it.

But instead, she did what she had always done. She swallowed the truth and smiled.

"Everything's fine, Julian." She squeezed his hand. "Can we just enjoy tonight?"

His gaze lingered on her for a moment longer, but he nodded. "Okay."

The waiter arrived, placing their meals in front of them, but Rose barely had the appetite to eat. She could feel the weight of what she was about to do pressing down on her like a boulder, crushing her, suffocating her.

And then, as if the universe wanted to punish her further, her phone vibrated in her lap.

A message from Antonio.

Antonio: We need to talk. You're running out of time, Rose.

Her hands trembled as she locked the screen.

She was running out of time.

Her mother was running out of time.

And if she didn't act fast, she would lose everything.

She glanced up, finding Julian watching her carefully.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked again.

She nodded, forcing another smile. "I just need some air. I'll be right back."

She pushed back her chair and walked toward the restrooms, but instead of going inside, she slipped out the side entrance of the restaurant, inhaling the cold night air.

She barely had a second to gather herself before her phone vibrated again.

Antonio.

With shaking fingers, she answered.

"Antonio, I told you I'd handle it-"

"You're not handling it, Rose," he said, his voice sharp. "Your mother's condition is getting worse. I can help you, but you have to let me."

Her stomach churned.

Antonio had offered to pay the medical bills weeks ago, but she had refused. Because she knew what his help meant.

Nothing came for free in his world.

"I won't take your money," she whispered.

"Then what's your plan? To keep struggling? To let her die because you're too proud to accept help?"

Tears burned behind her eyes. "That's not fair."

"Life isn't fair," he said coldly. "But I can make this easy for you, Rose. One deal. That's all I'm asking."

She swallowed hard.

She knew what he wanted.

Julian.

Antonio had always been jealous of him. He had made it clear that he wanted Rose, even if she never gave him a reason to think he had a chance.

And now, he was dangling her mother's life in front of her like bait.

A bitter laugh escaped her lips. "You want me to leave him, don't you?"

Silence.

Then-

"Yes."

Her heart clenched.

"If I do this," she whispered, "you pay for everything?"

"Every last cent."

The air felt too thick to breathe.

She turned her gaze toward the restaurant, catching a glimpse of Julian through the window. He was still sitting at the table, checking his phone, probably wondering why she was taking so long.

Her beautiful, kind-hearted Julian.

This wasn't fair.

He didn't deserve this.

But she didn't deserve him either.

Her decision was made.

"I'll do it," she murmured. "But I need it to be believable. He can't ever know the truth."

Antonio's voice was calm, satisfied. "Leave that to me."

Rose ended the call, her legs trembling beneath her as she braced herself against the cold brick wall.

She wanted to scream. To cry. To run back inside and tell Julian everything.

But she didn't.

Instead, she wiped her tears, straightened her dress, and walked back inside.

Her fate was sealed.

-

Julian looked up the moment she returned, a relieved smile tugging at his lips. "There you are. I was starting to think you ran away from me."

Her heart shattered.

If only he knew.

She forced herself to smile, to sit back down, to pretend that she hadn't just made a deal that would break them both.

Julian reached into his pocket again, his fingers wrapping around the small velvet box.

But before he could pull it out, Rose leaned in, placing a soft kiss against his lips.

"Let's go home," she whispered.

He blinked. "Now? But I-"

"Please, Julian," she interrupted, her voice barely steady. "Just take me home."

Something in her tone made his expression shift, concern flickering in his eyes. But he didn't argue.

He took her hand, pressed a gentle kiss against her knuckles, and nodded.

"Okay, love," he murmured. "Let's go home."

Little did he know, tonight was their last perfect night together.

By tomorrow, his heart would belong to heartbreak.

And she would no longer be his Rose.