The Unseen Cost of Love

scandal left him ostracized and broken, I worked two jobs to send him to a

ways knew he could be, he fell for someone else-

. He started forgetting me, too. He forgot my birthday. He forgot my favorite food. During a fire

ie. I sacrificed my own dreams so he could have his. I thought

ly gave up. I booked a one-way ticket

from Carson-her tearful

last message telling him we were ov

pte

Maya' s voice crackled over

ass of my apartment window. Rain slid down the pane

'm comin

years? You're giving up on

I knew what she was really as

my voice flat. I traced a raindrop with my fi

" Maya finally asked the qu

I'd been carrying for a decade. I didn't answer right away. The

ce barely a whisper.

ext. It was from a number I didn't

of a train ticket. My tic

He won't be held back by you

om her. C

ly, my thumb steady despi

kno

conversation and

y mind. It was a name that

or a coding competition he' d won. He was brilliant, the golden boy of our state schoo

ack of the auditorium. I felt plain, invisible. I worked two jobs to pay my tuition

world f

, the golden boy was the son of a criminal. The whispers followed him everywhere. Old famil

now pointed and sneered. H

found him on the roof of the tallest building on campus, standing on the ledge. The w

going t

his jacket. I pulled with all my strength, my own fear making me stro

is eyes empty. "Wh

im being gone felt like a tear in the fabric of the world. So I

ot speaking, just two broken

face the shame. I found him a small, cheap apartment away

p my own

ody aching. I saved every penny to send him back to school, not to our state university, but t

a mixture of guilt and confusion,

ctant, but I forced a smile. "Because you're a genius

serious. "I'll pay you back. I swea

d by a major tech firm. He became the Damien Rowe everyon

the kind I used to clean. The city lights that

t was over. I thought

g. The worst w

look up a recipe one evening when a message

eyes that sparkled with intelligence. She was beautiful, sop

about work, discussions about complex algorithms

almost dismissive. "Bu

, foolish flic

ng troubled. He paced the living ro

in front of me. "How do you

ike a physical blow.

irl?" I asked,

icated. Smart. From

rs

pporter, his rock. I had cooked for him, cleaned for him, held him

grateful. He felt indebte

he practical one. I thought my actions spoke for themselves. I

s a debt to be repaid,

re I still worked part-time. She sat across from me, her

n's sealed juvenile record. The one thing that

ase this," she said calmly. "Damien is on the

od ran

sharp. "My father is on the board. I can mak

her eyes m

him. You live in two different worlds. He feels obligated to you,

ully aimed dart, and t

oked at my rough hands, my simple clothes. I thought about the conversa

uldn't protect him.

g I could do. It was the last

from the hope that one day he would see me.

. I gasped, clutching my abdomen. It was my old stomac

aking too badly. The bottle slipped, scatter

ront door opened

, surrounded by pills,

! What's

e born of long practice. He knew exactly where the hot

nds, his touch gentle. "Thank yo

brow furrowed with a familiar, distant worry. He was conc

hold me for hours, whispering apologies, blaming himself for the stre

hair from my face, a gesture that

and turned

nd hovering in t

is eyes was genuin

started to say it

rang, shatteri

ller ID. Carson. His

ention was already gone. "Carson? What's wrong

y grabbing his keys. "Carson's

door before I c

the silent apartment. It was t

say goodbye. He

he compared to the one in my heart. I walked to the refri

as my b

otten. He a

l cake and make a silent wish. For te

Damien's

lame dance. In its flickering light, I saw hi

on't belong on the ground. They are mean