I closed my phone and started playing my solo piece again.
Spin, turn, jump.
In the empty room, I kept practicing the moves.
<
Liam’s choreography was a masterpiece,
showing the bird’s sorrow after it was exiled.
Even people who didn’t know dance could tell
how much effort had gone into that.
I knew, I would never have the opportunity to do
- it.
It was like planting a seed.
Watering it and watching it grow.
Then, one day, it bloomed.
But it was picked before it had a chance to
shine.
No one cared how long it waited to bloom.
And once the flower wilts, it’s done.
Missed chances are missed.
<
Ben was staying at his mansion these days.
He was no longer only home at night.
He would even do work in his office.
He seemed to have changed.
But he was only watching me.
On the night of Chloe’s show, Ben was reading
a book to Ryan.
His phone was constantly vibrating, but he
didn’t look at it.
Ryan looked at his dad, “Aren’t you going out
tonight?”
“No.”
“But it’s Auntie Chloe’s performance. You
always take me.”
<
“Shut up,” Ben replied.
Time ticked by.
Suddenly, Ryan’s watch rang.
He answered, “Hi Auntie.”
His eyes filled with tears. “Are you in pain?”
“Okay, we’ll be right there.”
“What’s wrong?” Ben asked.
“Auntie fell onstage,” Ryan said. “We have to
save her.”
Ben’s face changed. He looked regretful, angry.
He called the driver.
He quickly put on a jacket, but then stopped
and looked at me, “Ava.”
<
“Yeah?”
“Can we forget about this?” Ben said.
Ryan looked at us confused.
“No,” I replied, looking straight at him. “We
have a deal, right?”
Two weeks ago, Ben had threatened me to stay
with him.
He said he’d give me everything.
And all I asked for was a deal.
It was the easiest bet ever.
I had said, if you don’t see Chloe for a month,
I’ll do what you say.
Ben thought it was easy, but I knew he
<
wouldn’t.
Chloe was his biggest weakness.
He couldn’t say no to her.
Ben was speechless.
Ryan held up his watch, showing a photo. “Auntie’s leg is bloody, she’s in pain. Daddy, why aren’t you going?! You’re not yourself.”
Ben closed his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he told me. “I’ll explain later.”
Then he grabbed Ryan and ran.
Chloe’s injury was all over the news.
No one cared about the show itself.
They were more interested in how Ben had
く
8:12
used a helicopter to take her to the hospital.
90
The comments were about their ‘fairytale‘ love.
Some said she didn’t dance well and that it
wasn’t right, but they were quickly taken down
by Chloe’s fans.
Chloe sent me a picture.
Ben was sitting next to her, giving her water,
Ryan was cutting an apple for her.
I knew what she was doing.
She was saying, “You lost.”
She loved playing this game with me.
She wanted to win every time.
Like always.
<
8:12
But I didn’t lose.
I had started this.
Every day, I had sent Chloe a photo of Ben.
I knew them both so well.
It was sad, but it was true.
90
Ben didn’t understand why he kept getting
rejected, when he kept doing everything for her.
Because Chloe didn’t care.
She refused Ben because she was scared.
Scared that if she was loved, she wouldn’t be
special anymore.
As long as she was unreachable, she would be
pursued.
