MirrorMirror

13 / The Ex and the Answer

Hope springs eternal, we're told.

For Cassidy, someone had shoved a great big cork right in the middle of that spring and jammed the flow. His shoulders and spirit slumped as the truth, a truth he was already aware of, if he was honest with himself, was revealed.

His house was empty.

The flowery odour still clung to the air, riding the dust particles across the room as if at a rodeo, scattering its scent over all surfaces. He felt he could smell it even when his breath was held. It had no source. It shouldn't have been there. Yet, it was.

He knew what he needed to do next, but was fighting with himself over actually doing it. He needed to turn. To face and to look. The mirror was waiting for him. He didn't believe in ghosts! Yes, he was wavering on the edge of conceding the possibility there might be something else out there. He did believe we didn't know everything about the universe, and would admit that openly. But, ghosts? An afterlife? The dead haunting this plane of existence?

No.

What other explanation was there, though?

He had to find out one thing for certain. The thought immediately made him feel angry, but it couldn't be helped. Without looking at the mirror, he walked out of the bedroom and downstairs. As he went, he pulled out his phone. She was still in his contacts as a favourite. He should change that.

He pressed 'call.' It rang and, on each 'ring, ring,' Cassidy was prepared to hit 'cancel.' She wasn't going to answer. She was at work. In the shower. On the toilet. Anything other than by her phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Elise."

He felt his face flush. Was it irritation merely at the sound of her voice, or was it embarrassment at the question he had to answer? Probably both, he thought. At least she didn't sound annoyed at his call.

"Oh, it's you. What do you want?"

'Oh, it's you?' What the hell did that mean? Had she already removed his name and number from her phone? Had the Deletion taken place already? Cass felt hurt, though he was aware he was being irrational. They were no longer a couple, and there was no chance of a reconciliation. Why did she still need his number? Well, there might have been some post delivered for him. He could have missed an address change. She could have wanted to just hear his voice or check how he was doing.

Neither of which he particularly wanted to do, so berated himself for thinking it.

Elise was Elise, he realised. She wouldn't change just for him. He wasn't that special to her. Maybe it was a coping mechanism for her, and she did it because he (and those before him) was special. It saved her heartache and tears if she drew a line and didn't look back. He could compartmentalise, so why couldn't she?

Indeed.

"Sorry to bother you," he said.

"Then don't," she responded before he could continue.

Ouch!

Should he continue? Well, she hadn't hung up on him, so that was an indication he could. But... how?

"Erm... how are you?" he stammered.

"What do you care? You walked out on me."

Or, alternatively, they split and he moved out as they'd agreed.

"I... I just wanted to ask you something," Cassidy said.

He didn't want to, but had to. There was no choice.