Only then did Ezra step forward. The cold, desolate night seemed to make his lone figure even more pitiful.
He looked at her with desperation in his eyes. “Shermaine, I know you were just acting with that man. Do you want me to back off, or is this some sort of test or punishment for me? It’s fine either way. I’ll wait here for you. I know you can’t just forget the
past between us. You said we’d be together forever.”
He took a few more steps toward her, his voice softening. “I have nowhere else to go. The only place I feel at home is where you are. If you won’t come back with me, I’ll wait here for you, as long as it takes.”
Ezra was confident in his approach. In the past, no matter what mistakes he made, Shermaine would always soften as long as he appeared vulnerable.
But Ezra had forgotten one thing. The kindness and tolerance Shermaine had shown him before were rooted in her love for him.
Now, that love was gone.
Sure enough, after Ezra’s heartfelt confession, Shermaine’s expression didn’t change. She simply asked, “Are you done?”
Ezra froze, momentarily caught off guard. He shivered slightly, trying again. “Shermaine, I’m cold-
d=”
“If you’re done, I’m heading in. You should go home. If you keep following me, I’ll call the cops.”
With that, Shermaine turned and walked away.
Ezra stood frozen in place, staring after her. For a moment, he wondered if he’d spoken too quickly, leaving her unable to catch what he’d just said that he planned to wait for her here as long as it took.
Once Shermaine got home, she quickly washed up and collapsed into bed, exhaustion pulling her into sleep almost immediately.
But in the middle of the night, her phone rang, shattering the silence.
+15 RON
Half–asleep, Shermaine instinctively reached to hang up, but her finger slipped, accidentally answering the call.
The moment the line connected, Ezra’s eager voice rang out. “Shermaine! I knew you wouldn’t leave me out here! I’m so cold. Can I come up, please? My head’s spinning, and I think I might be coming down with something.”
Shermaine, already prone to being irritable when woken, bit back her rising annoyance and replied in an icy tone, “If you’re not feeling well, go to a hospital. Why are you calling me?”
Before he could respond, she hung up with a sharp click.
Despite her exhaustion, sleep evaded her. It wasn’t because Ezra’s antics had stirred any hidden emotions–she’d long since buried those. No, it was pure frustration that gnawed at her.
Maybe it was time to move.
Shermaine sighed, knowing Ezra was just a temporary nuisance. Soon, his presence wouldn’t even be an issue. She’d already applied to a confidential research project with the National Academy of Sciences, one that, if accepted, would take her to a secluded island for decades.
For her, emotions had long since become nothing more than a burden, an unnecessary weight she refused to carry on the path. forward.
