Part 2My Fiancé Loves Physics

The straight, firm line of Larry's mouth suddenly slackened. My parents, on the other hand, looked at me with a mixture of shock and relief. They knew I was stubborn as a mule; once I made up my mind, I never backed down. And when I was done with something, I never looked back.

Larry, apparently, hadn't realized that yet.

He pressed his fingers to his temples, a weary gesture. He assumed I was just throwing another jealous tantrum.

"Ava, you'd better mean that."

He said it because every time I'd broken up with him in the past, I'd come running back within two days. He thought this time would be no different.

But when he finally returned home after finishing his long, complicated experiment, he was greeted by silence and an empty, cold apartment.

Larry's exhausted mind stuttered to a halt. He frowned, thinking for a moment before pulling out his phone to call me.

"Ava, I'm hungry."

I froze on the other end of the line, stunned that this was the first thing he had to say to me after our standoff. Then, a dry, self-deprecating laugh escaped my lips.

Larry was hailed as a genius in the world of physics. He could solve the most complex problems, conduct the most intricate experiments. But that same man had zero life skills.

I was young then, and my world revolved around him. I willingly moved into his place and became his caretaker, his maid, his everything. I thought my devotion could thaw his icy heart.

But just a moment ago, Nina had unblocked me on social media, and her latest post had appeared on my feed.

[Day 100 of bringing lunch for my mentor. Today is eggplant with minced pork!]

The picture showed a brightly colored lunchbox. I instantly recognized the long, elegant hand in the corner of the frame. It was Larry's.

[He said it was delicious and ate every last bite!]

Reading that sentence, my eyes stung so badly I thought tears would fall.

Because the one food Larry absolutely despised was eggplant.

My fingers pressed hard against the screen, zooming in desperately until I saw it. The nutritious, meticulously prepared meal I woke up at 6 a.m. every single morning to make for him.

Tossed in the trash can in the corner.

I fought back the wave of nausea and rage, my voice low and steady. "Larry, do you just think I'm that easy to push around?"

He heard the tremor in my voice. His breath hitched, and he started to say something else, but I had already hung up and blocked his number.

He's a smart man, I thought. He should understand that when an adult refuses to communicate, it means the relationship is over.

But Larry was clearly missing a crucial piece of common sense.

The rain was pouring down in sheets when he appeared at my door, holding a cake box.

"Nina said girls like cake when they're upset, so I went all the way to..."

"Enough!" I shoved the cake out of his hands, sending it splattering onto the wet ground. The dam of my emotions finally broke. "Larry, you're not Nina's lapdog! You don't need to ask her opinion on everything you do!"

"I'm so sick of it! Just go be with Nina! I sincerely, truly wish you two the best!"

I slammed the door in his face. Through the glass, I saw his long eyelashes, beaded with raindrops, his expression utterly stunned. It was only then that it seemed to slowly dawn on him that this time was different.

Before he could process it, his professor called. There was a problem with the experiment's data.

Larry had no choice but to leave.

We didn't speak for two weeks. From the bits and pieces my dad told me, I gathered he was preparing to compete for the Buckley Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in physics.

Then, one evening, my phone rang. It was him.

"Ava, what are you doing?" His voice was hoarse with exhaustion.

I paused for a beat before answering truthfully. "I'm trying on wedding dresses."