Fairytale Lost Read Online Free Page B

important that you would miss today? You, of all people, should know how hard I worked for that promotion. I told everyone how you’d be there. And I sat there waiting, like an idiot. Just like I always do.”
    Lukas tried to move closer to her. He knew if he could just pull her into his arms, he would make her see reason. She knew this as well. As soon as he took a step, she grabbed the wine glass and broke it against the table. Wine and glass flew everywhere.
    “Emmy, please. I don’t want to go, please.” He realized he didn’t care if she cut him. Losing her would be worse than any cut. He took another step toward her. Instead of swiping at him, she held the broken glass to her wrist.
    “I swear if you come any closer to me, I’ll cut myself.” Em knew well enough that Lukas wouldn’t care what she did to him, but he’d never let her hurt herself. She hated herself for doing this and for the weakness in her that wanted to just forget everything and run into those arms that had held her so many nights.
    “God damn it, Emmalyn, this is not funny.” He’d never known Emmalyn to act so irrationally. Just the opposite, she was always too rational, too linear. He wanted to kick himself for pushing her that far.
    “I know it’s not, and I’m not joking. You really don’t see what you’ve done, do you? Let me shed some light on the subject for you. Do you remember the first night we were together?”
    “Of course I do. You know I do.”
    “I remember that conversation like it just happened. I wanted to lie there with you forever. You asked me what my deal breakers were. Remember what I said?” she asked too calmly for someone holding broken glass to her own wrist.
    He did, and as his mind registered the severity of his situation, he took a step back and slid down the wall onto the floor.
    “Oh c’mon, Lukas, what did I say? You’re the one always saying how you remember every conversation we’ve ever had.” She waited for him to speak, growing increasingly frustrated. “ What did I say ?”
    “You said that you couldn’t abide a man who couldn’t keep his promises. That I could tell you anything and that even if you didn’t agree or wasn’t happy with what I said, you’d respect it because I respected you enough to be up front. But Em, I didn’t break…,” he said weakly, unable to finish the sentence. He tasted the lie as the words formed.
    “Ah, but you did. Before you left, I asked you if you were going to come to the office for the partnership ceremony then to the party, and you said, and I quote, ‘I will be there, I promise, wearing your favorite tie,’” she sneered.
    “But Em, you can’t end a relationship because I missed one event. That just can’t happen,” Lukas whispered.
    “Think back, my love. How many times have we made plans in the last six weeks and you either didn’t show or came so late that you may as well have not shown at all?”
    “Emmy…”
    “I’ve been putting up with this for so long, I’ve lost count. Dinners, drinks, appointments — and a part of me breaks every time. But I kept telling myself that we love each other and you’d come to see how important those things are to me and you’d show up. But then you don’t, and I break all over again. You tell me every day that you love me, but it’s very rare that you care enough to show me. Your words don’t matter to me, Lukas. Never did. When you bought me the earrings, you thought that I needed the words to know how you felt, but I didn’t. I’d been eyeing those earrings for months, and you’d noticed and bought them for me. That’s how I knew. But I need you to be there for the little things. And I didn’t get the promotion by the way. They gave that job to Greg Harper. The party was for him.”
    Lukas felt his stomach drop. There it was—the reason this was so bad. He could hear the door closing on his relationship with Emmy, just as loud as the ticking of the mantle clock. “Oh Emmy, I