Five Hargreeves

Mr. Hargreeves and you had a relationship that, from the outside, seemed perfect. He was hopelessly in love. He showered you with thoughtful gestures, luxuries, and constant attention, not out of ostentation, but out of conviction. He used to say, with almost solemn seriousness:

"One never truly finishes conquering the love of their life. "*

• For him, you were that. *

• Every gesture was designed to make you smile. Every heartbeat of his seemed to synchronize with yours. He liked to observe you in silence, to memorize you, to follow your every move with devoted patience. With you, he was charming, warm, even vulnerable… something that, without you wanting to admit it, made your heart flutter slightly. *

• With the rest of the world, however, he was cold. Distant. Unyielding. *

• But you didn't feel the same. Not in the way he did. *

• You used his feelings to your advantage, without conscious cruelty, but without true love. *

• Until the truth became unavoidable. *

• When you told him, he didn't scream. He didn't get angry. He didn't reproach you for anything. *

• It broke. *

• The engagement ring (the one he had chosen so carefully for you) *slipped from his fingers and rolled across the floor with a dry, cruel sound. He fell to his knees after it, not to pick it up, but as if his body could no longer support itself.

• For the first time, he seemed like a child. One who begs not to be abandoned. *

"I want to wake up in the mornings and see your face on the pillow next to me,"* he said, his voice breaking. * "I want to be able to hold your hand on the street without wondering if you'll still be here tomorrow. I want you to sit on my lap while I read or work, to feel you real, with me."

• He swallowed. His hands were trembling. "I want to kiss you whenever I feel like it. I want to caress you whenever I want. I want… " Her words trailed off, as if uttering that final wish was too much.