Chapter 39

Betty.

Yes! I deleted that damn dating app.

With one click…. poof! It was gone like dust in the wind.

It hurt, but I had to make that decision. I was done being deceived and disappointed by men. This time, there was no going back.

It’s a beautiful Saturday morning, and I am… well, making the most of it. It’s barely 7, yet I'm up, cooking random food from the special recipe book my father gave me before he passed.

He was a chef! A  really good one at that! He always made the meals even when my mom wasn’t busy, according to him, he simply enjoyed cooking.

I’ve never really been a fan of cooking, in fact, it usually wears me out, but when I do cook, you can bet the food’s going to be a banger.

So right now cooking has become my new distraction though it was nearly not enough. I still couldn’t stop thinking about him, the little thrill we used to have, the unexpected flowers, the midnight sex, the breakfast in bed…and God,  the morning sex that left me too sore to walk properly, his cock was that big.

I  missed the free rides in his fancy car, and I loved the attention that came with it, people gazing, I couldn’t get enough of it, it was all so beautiful and good but you know what they say about good things? They always come to an end! At least for me.

Ever since he left I’ve been back to my old boring and alone self.

But I wasn't completely alone. At least I still had my ‘Kitty’. She was the only one keeping me company during these trying times.

But these days I hardly ever saw Ethan, it was like he never existed, our paths didn’t even cross by coincidence.

You know the saying, out of sight, out of mind? Well, well that wasn’t the case for me, not only did I still find myself wondering if he was okay.

Was he sick? Was he even alive? Had he taken his early morning medications? He always took them when I was around, he never missed a day.

“Stop it…Betty!” I scolded myself.

Of course, he’s a big boy, he can take care of himself, he’s a doctor after all. Maybe he’s just buried in his job the same way I was buried in mine, that's why our paths hardly crossed.

So right now I’m going to focus on this mac and cheese I was making not because I’m hungry but because it’s a form of therapy for me. I’m not broken-hearted enough to want to go to an actual therapy... at least not yet, because the more you grow older the more you get thick skin.

I hum along to the soft blues playing in the background as I stir the pot slowly, watching the cheese melt into that creamy golden perfection.

“Yay…. Delicieux ( delicious)” I gushed as I tasted it.

It was tasty! Exactly how my dad would make it.

By 9am I should be getting ready to hit the gym… yeah, I signed up for a month's worth of classes.  But let’s be real,  this hot body didn’t come from exercising.

Honestly, when I tell people I’m a foodie they look at me like I’m lying because my body is the perfect hourglass:  flat tummy, slim waist, and a normal-sized butt.

All of a sudden Ethan crossed my mind again, can I really do this? Living life without him, his only offense was beating up Michael, but no matter what he did nobody deserved to be turned into a punching bag.

Seeing him destroy his face made me realize there was so much  I didn’t know about him.

Even though we were still getting to know each other, I didn’t expect that from him. He struck me as the perfect gentleman who wouldn’t hurt a fly which is why I was so taken aback by the gruesome sight in front of me.

I know no one is perfect! We are all bound to make mistakes but this? Nah, this was too big to ignore.

What would happen if one day  I got him angry?

Would he hurl blows my way?

In a relationship Romance alone isn’t enough, what happens when things stop working out the way they used to? How would he handle it?

Those were the questions I asked myself when I finally ended things.

I let out a dramatic sigh turning off the cooker. I scooped the dish into a white ceramic plate sprinkling some black pepper for spice around it and took it to the living room.

My cat Kitty is nestled up in her cat tree, hiding in the little cave section with her tail sticking out. She’s been sulking for days like she was angry with me.

“Aw…. Cutie, are you pissed at Momma?” I asked, dropping the plate to my lap as I sat on the couch.

She meows like she could actually hear me, so I took it as a yes. She was actually mad at me.

“I'm sorry boo, you have every right to be,” I nod at her. “ I practically abandoned you but you should know none of this was my fault, I only did what I thought was the best thing to do.”

She meows again. I took it as she was still pissed that I dropped her off at the animal caretaker's place two weeks straight back when I was still dating Ethan, I’d just gotten her back three days ago.

Ethan wasn’t really a cat person. He thought they were hideous and dangerous. He always told me how he thought they brought bad luck and how they were spies for witches. Anytime he says that I would burst into uncontrollable laughter because who even still thinks like that in 2025? Well, Ethan, that’s who.

“Come here,” I said, setting my plate aside and striding over to Kitty’s tree. She has been staying there a lot these days. “Come to me, I’m sorry, I promise not to let anyone come between us!”

Instead, she crawls deeper into the tree. Urgh! Why does she have to be this stubborn? I try to coax her out but she goes further in leaving me with only the brush of her fur against my fingertips.

“Okay! Fine! I give up’” I walk away sinking into the couch.  “Stay mad, kitty, when you are ready to play, I’m right here.”

Now I’m munching on the Mac and cheese flipping on the TV to watch Gossip Girl. My comfort movie.  I make sure to watch it slowly so it doesn't finish on time.

Yet I still find myself distracted by my phone. I have the itch that I can’t ignore. I feel like texting him.

Maybe just a simple; “Hi Ethan! How are you? Just checking in! With a smiley emoji.”

Just because we aren’t dating doesn’t mean we should still be in each other’s lives as friends, or acquaintances? I could even help him solve his anger issues. ‘As a friend’

Before I knew it my thumb was punching into the keyboard, typing:

Hello! It’s been a while. How are you doing? I’m sure you must be at work, it’s so early! I’ve just been worried that I don’t see more of you and we can be friends, I'm okay with that….

Nah. I stop typing. What if he leaves me on ‘read’?

Worse, what if he blocks me? Or he reads the message with his new girl by his side?

No, I can’t do that! I won’t rekindle a fire that was meant to be quenched. I licked the fork absentmindedly staring into a blank space.

We ended things for a reason so yeah….. I clear the message. Bye for God Ethan. I hope wherever you are you seek help because you’d be so perfect without these anger issues.

With that, I threw the phone across the couch.

“Thank heaven I didn’t send that crap!” I mumbled stuffing another forkful of Mac and cheese into my mouth. “It sounded fake and not me.”

I had so many things to say to him but I wasn’t sure I  was ready to see him right now.

Maybe it was a good thing that we weren’t bumping into each other.

Suddenly I hear a loud knock. Shit! Who dares interrupt my breakfast? Whoever it was, I hope they were worth it. For a second I wished it was Ethan! Maybe he had finally decided to be the bigger person and come to talk things out, but that doesn’t mean I would take him back but at least I know he misses me as much as I did.

Kitty's head sticks out of the car tree,  “Relax! No one is coming to take you away!”

I set the plate aside carefully wiping my mouth with the tissue paper, I wonder who could be at my door? No one visits me. Every step I take my curiosity increases.

Who could be at the door?

I twisted the doorknob knob, finally pulling it open, and there he was standing right in front of me with a hinged smile on his face.