Second by Chantal Fernando Read Free Book Online

aren’t in their corner. Everything that belonged to him is gone. I open the wardrobe, and his side is empty except for the few items that I decided to keep. Everything else is gone, like it never existed. Like he never lived here. I sit down on the bed, struggling to breathe. I calm myself, take deep breaths, and tell myself that this needed to happen. And it did. But it’s not easy. It feels so final.
    He’s really gone.
    And I need to accept it.
    “Hey,” Dean says in a soft voice. “I wanted to be here before you got home.”
    When I don’t say anything, he continues, “I went to drop the boxes off at Kate’s.”
    I bet she was happy about that.
    I nod, but keep my gaze on my hands.
    “Are you okay, Sabina? Do you want to be alone?”
    I raise my face and look at him. “Thanks for doing this for me. I know I wouldn’t have been able to.”
    “Come here,” he says, opening his arms to me. I stand and lay my cheek on his chest, falling into his embrace. I don’t cry this time, I just feel… a little broken inside. I feel lost. I’m trying, I really am, but I think that time is the only thing that’s going to help me through this.
    “Everything hurts,” I say.
    “I know,” he whispers, running his hand down my back in comforting circles. “You’re doing so well. One step at a time. Get some sleep, and everything will look better in the morning, I promise. We’re going to get out of the house, get your mind off everything. I have something planned for you.”
    The last thing I want to do right now is leave the house, but I nod. Tomorrow is a new day, and as I’ve learnt, distraction is key. I breathe in the scent of Dean’s cologne on his white t-shirt and close my eyes.
    Finally, I lift my head and glance up at him, our eyes connecting. “Did you have dinner?”
    He nods. “Kate made sure I ate something.”
    “Good,” I say, forcing a small smile. It probably came out as more of a grimace, but I tried. “I think I’m going to go to bed. I’ll see you in the morning?”
    “Okay,” he says, then lowers his head to kiss my forehead. “If you need me, I’m right here. Anytime, Sabina. If you want to talk in the middle of the night, anything.”
    “I know,” I say, stepping away from him.
    He leaves my room, closing the door behind him, and I slide into bed under my covers, burying my face in my pillow.
    Tears don’t come, but sleep doesn’t either.
     
    *****
     
    I wake up to music.
    Barefoot, I walk into the living room where Dean is playing guitar and softly singing. The music is beautiful. I sit down on the couch opposite him, not wanting him to stop in my presence, but lucky for me he continues to play and sing about unrequited love. The song is hauntingly beautiful. He lifts his gaze from his guitar to me and smiles, and I know right then and there why half the women in the world are in love with him.
    “I hope I didn’t wake you up,” he says as he stops singing but continues to play his instrument.
    “Are you kidding?” I say, grinning. “If I woke up to that every morning I don’t think I’d ever be grumpy, ever. You’re so talented. I mean I knew you were, but this is… wow. What a beautiful song. Is it new?”
    He nods, eyes lighting up. “Yeah, you’re the first to hear it, actually.”
    We share a smile.
    “Don’t stop on my behalf,” I tell him. “Please, continue.”
    He flashes me a smile that shows off those dimples, then continues to play. I watch him in his element, and remember the first time I saw him and his then band play at school. He was good then, but now he is simply amazing. I listen in awe until the song is over, and wait for him to look up at me before I start to clap for him.
    “Everyone is going to love that song,” I tell him, placing my hand over my heart. “There’s so much emotion in it, it’s like I can feel your pain. And when you say that line ‘No one in this world would love you as much as I do….’” I sigh dreamily. “I