Chapter 121: The Unwanted Drink
Chapter 121: The Unwanted Drink
ABEL DONOVAN
Don't compare them. It's not fair to either of them. No matter what, Flora is better. She had to be better. She was the one who'd been honest about who she was, who hadn't built her entire existence on lies and manipulation.
My phone pinged suddenly, the sound cutting through my internal monologue. I picked it up to check the message.
It was from my mother.
"Abel, can you come over now? I need to see you. I want to discuss something important with you."
I frowned, re-reading the message twice. It was rare for my mom to urgently summon me like this. Did something happen? Had something happened to Dad? Was there some kind of emergency at home?
I quickly typed back: "Is it serious?"
The response came almost immediately: "Yes, it is. Come over. Now!"
The urgency in her message, even through text, was unmistakable and concerning.
Flora walked back into the dining room carrying a tall glass of something milky and unidentifiable, a pleased smile on her face.
"Drink this, Abel," she said, holding it out toward me. "It's a new nutritional milk I discovered. It's supposed to have all kinds of health benefits—vitamins, minerals, protein. It'll be really good for you."
I stood up immediately, my mind already on my mother's urgent message.
"Maybe later, Flora," I said apologetically. "I need to get somewhere. Something's come up."
"But I thought you were free today," Flora said, her face contorting into a frown, confusion and disappointment warring in her expression. "You said you didn't have any plans."
"Yes, I was free," I confirmed. "But something urgent just came up. My mother—she needs me for something important. I'll be back later though. We can do this then."
"You didn't even finish your food," Flora pointed out, gesturing to the barely touched plate. Then she seemed to catch herself. "Okay, that's not the most important thing. But just drink this before you go, at least. It'll only take a second."
She moved closer, holding the glass up toward my mouth.
I'd already drunk like three glasses of water because of her terrible food. I couldn't afford to put anything else in my stomach right now, but of course I couldn't tell her that without revealing how awful her cooking actually was.
"I'm... I'm kind of full actually," I said, stepping back slightly. "Let's do this next time. Or you could drink it yourself? Don't let it go to waste."
"I can't!" Flora screamed out suddenly, her voice rising to a pitch that took me completely aback.
I froze, staring at her wide-eyed, shocked by the sudden intensity of her reaction.
She seemed to realize she'd overreacted, and quickly modulated her tone.
"I mean... I'm... I can't drink it," she stammered, her voice returning to something more normal. "It's specifically formulated for men, for your nutritional needs. Not mine."
She took a breath, then continued, her voice taking on a pleading quality.
"Just drink it first. Please. I thought you were free today. I wanted us to spend some quality time together. Why are you doing this? Why are you rushing off the moment I try to do something nice for you?"
Guilt immediately flooded through me, sharp and uncomfortable. She was right—I hadn't been spending much time with her lately.
"Let's do this next time, okay?" I said gently. "I know this seems like bad timing, and I'm sorry. But it's urgent and unexpected. My mother specifically said it was important. I'll be back soon, and then we can reschedule. We'll have a proper day together."
"Reschedule?" Flora's voice carried hurt now. "Like I'm having an appointment with you? Like I'm a business meeting you can just move around on your calendar? I'm your fiancée, Abel. We don't even spend time together anymore. We barely see each other."
"I will fix that, okay?" I promised, turning back to look at her fully, letting her see the sincerity in my expression. "I'm sorry. I know I've been distant. I'll make it up to you."
I was feeling genuinely guilty now. If not for my mother's urgent summons, we were supposed to spend time together today. And she was right—I hadn't really been around her lately. I hadn't been fully present in our relationship since Anna came back into our lives.
Damn Anna. Even when she wasn't physically present, she was affecting everything, creating distance between Flora and me.
"Just drink this first," Flora insisted again, her voice taking on a desperate edge. "Before you go. Please."
I rolled my eyes exasperatedly, my patience finally wearing thin despite the guilt. I walked over to her, took the glass from her hands, and placed it directly against her lips.
"You can drink it, Flora," I said firmly. "My stomach is completely full right now from all the food and water. Make another one for me when I get back, and I'll drink it then. I promise."
"No—" she started to protest, but I was already moving.
I dropped the glass back onto the table, turned on my heel, and walked toward the door, grabbing my keys from the hall table on my way out.
"I'll see you when I get back!" I called over my shoulder.
I needed to find out what was so urgent with my mother. And honestly, I needed a break from Flora's intensity this morning, from the terrible food and the strange drink and the neediness that seemed to be growing stronger lately.
And why the hell is she forcing me to drink it?
Everyone around me is acting weird.
As I closed the front door behind me and headed toward my car, I tried to push aside all the complicated feelings swirling in my chest—the guilt about Flora, the lingering images from my nightmare, the unwanted comparisons between Flora and Anna.
My mother needed me. That was clear and simple. That was something I could actually address.
Everything else would have to wait.