Tabitha's POV
I meant what I said.
My love for him was long gone. And all that was left was hatred.
Just then, Crystal groaned in my mind, as if trying to comfort me.
I stared at Derek, looking forward to hearing what chicanery he was gonna use this time.
"I know," he finally responded, his voice carrying a hint of guilt instead of the usual anger.
"Every single day, all I think about is how to wreak my revenge. Derek, stop wasting your time and energy, for you are one of my enemies, too," I scoffed, telling him that his guilt wasn't gonna change anything.
"Tabitha, I just wanna treat you right. That's all," he replied, sounding kinda defeated.
While we were waiting at the stoplight, he handed a cup of fruit tea to my mouth and said, "It's sour and sweet. Give it a go."
Ever since I got pregnant, I couldn't resist anything that had a sour-sweet taste. So even though I wanted to turn him down, I failed.
I took a sip, and the refreshing taste of little limes and passion fruit instantly captivated my taste buds. And there were lemon and grapefruit, too. My eyes lit up, and I couldn't stop drinking.
The sour-sweet taste helped ease my upset stomach, making me feel a whole lot better.
Derek, noticing my reaction, stopped frowning.
The car pulled up at a restaurant that we used to hit up all the time.
"Aren't we supposed to catch the concert?" I asked.
"Chill, it's still early. Aren't you hungry?" He looked at me soft-like.
"I'm not hungry," I replied, playing tough.
Derek didn't seem to mind. He just smiled, "But I'm hungry. Can you sit by my side while I grab a bite?"
With that, he reached for my hand like the good old days.
But when he held my soft and limp hand, he paused for a sec.
I turned my gaze, seeing a glimmer of guilt flash in his eyes. Apparently, he just forgot that he was why my hand ended up like this.
I sneered, "See? You still think we can just go back to the way things were?"
He didn't say anything, just holding onto my hand as we walked into the restaurant.
This place was located on the top floor of a skyscraper, so the guests could see most of the city, including the coastline. After we sat down at my favorite spot, I looked out the window.
The lights from all the buildings looked like stars scattered on the ground, but I had zero interest in that—I just focused on eating some light food.
The cuisine served tonight all had a sour taste, not a greasy dish in sight.
Derek even told the waiter to swap my drink for lime juice instead of our usual red wine.
"Heard you're having tummy troubles lately and can't have anything spicy," he explained casually.
I narrowed my eyes at him, wondering if he had found out about my pregnancy or not.
But if he knew, why hadn't he said a single word about it?
Derek behaved like a true gentleman all the way, not just eating with me but sticking around for the whole concert.
I was so sleepy I could barely keep my head up, so I dozed off halfway through the concert, leaning on his shoulder before I even realized it.
He just stayed perfectly still the whole time.
When I finally woke up, I realized I wasn't at Rose Manor or the concert venue, but on an air mattress.
I crawled out of the tent and spotted Derek not far off, crouched down catching fireflies.
That sight felt both familiar and strange, stirring up a complicated mix of feelings in me.
When he turned around and saw me, there was a hint of softness in his eyes. But deep down, I knew the rift between us was beyond repair.