The Demon's Whispers

24- The inevitable

I took a shower and changed before shoving my things deep into my hold-all, with all intentions of leaving, when I spot a toy. Cranking my head to the side, I pick it up and look over it before unfolding the tag on its fluffy ear.

Zak
Happy Valentines Day

Love

I sighed as the name had been smudged making it impossible to read. Hearing movement, I turned to find him stood at the door with his hands shoved into his Jean pockets.

"Tell me how keeping this is any different than me wearing the tags?" I ask, but he doesn't answer and looks to the floor "No so different is it? Why didn't you throw this out when you broke up? In fact, have you kept it because you still have feelings for her?"

He frowned "Of course I don't. Don't be absurd."

"Then why do you have it?"

"I've given it to Gracie as a toy."

I scoff a laugh and drop it onto her bed beside Zak's bed. "Of course you did. Because a man who owns a house like this and has a Lamborghini can't afford a stuffed toy from a dollar store for his dog, right?"

"Stop twisting my words."

"I'm not." I object. "I'm just pointing some things out." I zip up my hold-all and organise the handles ready to leave when he crosses the room and places his hand onto the bag.

"Why can't you see this from my point of view? To me, you're hanging onto Cody. Every time I look at you, I see a piece of him.."

My heart sinks, wondering how he would feel if I told him that every time I look at myself, I see the future I was stole, a family that was taken from me. Maybe he would understand? Maybe he wouldn't? But right now, with how he's reacting, I had no doubt that he wouldn't understand and would throw the remainder of his toys out the stroller because he could.

"I'm not going to apologise for having a past Zak, you clearly have one too if you have that here for Gracie's sake. I call bullshit, what Valentine's Day was this? Last year? This year? The year before?"

"This year."

"That's still over 4 months ago. 16 weeks.. But let me guess, you've been too busy huh?"

"I'm not arguing with you about a toy." He mutters.

"But you want to argue over a chain."

"Yes! Because he's staking his claim on you dammit! He's trying to goad me! He knew how I would feel when you started wearing them! You knew how I'd feel when you started wearing them. Or is this the idea? Wear them to make me angry and jealous?"

"I'm too mature for games."

"Are you really? Because if that were true, you'd have taken them off and not put them back on."

"You know what?" I ask removing his hand off the bag. "I don't have to listen to this, in fact, I won't listen to this."

"You walk out and you can forget coming back!" He called after me, making my feet come to a halt.

I looked at the front door, wanting nothing more than to leave and let him have whatever moment he is having. Another part of me wanted to stay.. But how could I stay and still wear the chain. The link to my past, my family I almost had...

Looking back, I wish I had kept those photos safe, kept them out of harms way so that they didn't get destroyed, that I would have more than one. But I didn't, and they did and I only had one... Which Cody took.