Part 3After I Let Go

I was almost asleep when Lisa came back.

She walked in and just stood there, staring at me. "It's raining outside."

"Hmm? You should probably dry your hair then. Or just take a hot shower."

She was soaked, but I didn't understand the point she was trying to make.

Her voice filled with disbelief. "I didn't have an umbrella. I was out for five hours! It's pouring! Weren't you worried at all?"

She took a step closer. "You're not usually like this. Whenever we fought before, if I stormed out, you'd call me, or you'd call my friends to see if I was okay. At the very least, you'd leave a light on in the living room and wait for me to come back. But today? Five hours, and not a single call from you!"

I kept my voice gentle. "I didn't call because you're an adult. You know how to take care of yourself. Besides, I didn't want to embarrass you by calling all your friends to track you down."

Her face froze.

She must have remembered her own words from a long time ago.

"Can you stop? I'm a grown woman, I know what I'm doing! Do you have to blow up my phone like some psycho? And why are you harassing my friends? Do you have any idea how they make fun of me because of you?!"

I remembered that day clearly. I had spent hours frantically searching for her, and the moment I finally found out she was safe, that was the thanks I got. Not relief, not gratitude, but a furious tirade.

But I wasn't interested in digging up the past. The handover for my new assignment was starting, and I was just... tired.

"Look, just go take a shower so you don't catch a cold," I said, turning away.

I went into the master bedroom. My mind was buzzing with work, and it took a long while before I finally drifted off. In the haze of sleep, I thought I felt a hand brush against my cheek, followed by a soft sigh. Then, the mattress dipped beside me.