Chapter 4
411words
Stumbling out, bleary-eyed, I thought I was dreaming.
Liam stood in the kitchen, an apron askew, engulfed in smoke. He coughed, looking utterly lost holding a spatula.
Seeing me, he flushed.
“I was… trying to make breakfast. Didn’t quite…”
I peered into the pan.
It was impossible to tell what he’d attempted. Mostly charred black lumps that might have been eggs.
He wiped his hands awkwardly on the apron.
“It burned faster than I thought. Looked easy online.”
I frowned, turning the burner down. “You need low heat for eggs. High flame’ll scorch them instantly.”
The hands that held surgical tools with perfect precision fumbled helplessly with a spatula.
Made sense. Liam grew up privileged. Family money meant staff. Cooking wasn’t in his skillset.
“What did you want?” he asked softly, hesitantly. “Should I just order something?”
“No need,” I said, putting the pan in the sink. My eyes caught on the angry red welt blooming on the back of his hand. “Just… don’t do this anymore.”
Liam’s face lit with hope. He held his injured hand out slightly. “It’s okay. You made breakfast every day before. I can learn. Whatever you like. I don’t mind the burn if you—”
I cut him off, irritation sharp. “It’s not about that. I’m rushed in the mornings. I’ll grab something at work.
“You don’t need to do… extra things.”
His outstretched hand froze. A wave of sudden, inexplicable frustration washed over me.
This absurd breakfast scene mirrored my own past absurdity.
Liam’s stomach was a disaster. Skipping breakfast meant guaranteed pain.
I couldn’t cook at first. But to get him to eat, I’d started practicing. Following recipes, burning things, cutting myself – eventually getting decent.
He rarely ate it.
He’d say: “Stop wasting your time. I’m busy. Don’t have time for home-cooked stuff.”
I’d sit alone at the table, eating my portion of the breakfast I’d made for two, then tip his untouched plate into the trash.
That’s why I’d stopped after getting back together.
Now, hewas trying to cook.
Back then, this would have felt like a dream come true. Now, it just annoyed me.
A bitter laugh escaped me. I suddenly understood how Liam must have felt all those years.
Oh. So this is what it feels like when someone you don’t love tries too hard.
The realization hit me like a physical blow.
Had I… stopped loving him?
