Chapter 1My boyfriend was basically a human alarm clock. Everything was about "efficiency" and "the rules" and sticking to his precious PLAN.
Never walked with me. Every date was timed down to the minute.
Ask him to grab me coffee on his way out? WASTE OF TIME.
Even on our five-year anniversary.
I went to use the restroom, came back—boom. My half-eaten food? Gone.
He checked his watch. "Date was two hours. You went over ten minutes."
Then tossed our anniversary cake. Still in the box. Said it was my punishment for bad time management.
I didn't cry. Didn't yell.
This was just... Kai. Always had been.
But yesterday I saw something on his phone. A reminder.
Just one line.
[Cancel everything. Wait for Sloane's call.]
Oh.
So he could waste time waiting around doing nothing.
Just... not for me.
Yeah, fuck that. I was done wasting my life on him anymore.
---
Kai didn't even look back. Just walked out.
The waiter came over. "Mr. Bridger already paid his half."
She paused. Slid another receipt toward me.
"This one's yours."
The receipt showed my "half"—calculated down to the fucking penny.
Five years together.
And he still made me pay him back. For our anniversary dinner.
I paid. Walked out.
Rain just poured down the second I stepped outside. Freezing cold, soaking through everything.
I tried getting an Uber—waited forever. The queue wasn't moving.
Went back inside the mall. Found a corner. Sat there alone till it got dark.
Finally got a ride home. Still got drenched on the walk from the car.
Opened the door. Apartment was pitch black. Except for one thing on the dining table.
A takeout box. Smelled spicy. Crawfish.
From that place across town everyone's obsessed with. The one that doesn't take orders—you gotta wait in line for like three hours.
I'd asked Kai about it so many times. He always said no.
"Waste of time. Probably not even clean."
He said he could knock out a whole project or binge a documentary instead.
Then his office door opened.
"Why'd you call me earlier?"
His voice was flat. Cold.
"That was my work time. I told you—don't bug me."
I looked at my phone. That missed call from like thirty minutes ago was still there.
I just wanted to ask if he could grab an umbrella and meet me downstairs. That's it.
Now?
"Nothing. Forget it."
"Don't pull that shit again," he said.
Then he looked at the crawfish box.
"Peel those. Stick 'em in the fridge."
"For who?"
He got annoyed. "A coworker. What's it to you?"
Coworker.
Right. Sloane.
He shut his office door again. Everything went dark.
I stared at the box for a minute. Then grabbed one, peeled it, ate it.
It was good. Really good.
But all I tasted was bitterness.
I left the rest. Went to shower.
When I came out, Kai was on the balcony. On the phone.
Door was cracked open. I could hear him. His voice was... soft. Patient.
"Thursday morning? I got something... yeah, I can move it."
"Your car's more important. I'll wait. Just hit me up when it's fixed."
I just stood there. Staring at nothing.
Thursday morning. That was our plan.
We were gonna see this artist I've been obsessed with forever. He's only here two weeks.
Been here three times before. I missed him EVERY time.
This time? I asked Kai a whole month ahead.
He's always like "I hate changing plans last minute."
Right.
He hates it when it's for ME.
Chapter 2
Kai walked back in. Saw my stuff on the closet door. Some of it crossed his precious line.
He frowned. "Hang that properly. It's a mess."
I nodded.
Then yanked out every boring black-white-gray thing he'd forced me to buy.
Threw all of it in the trash.
Kai just stood there. Watching.
Didn't say shit. Didn't ask.
Just rolled over. Passed out.
Next morning I woke up feeling like death. Fever from getting soaked last night.
Kai was already dressed. Standing by the bed.
"7:15. No breakfast. You totally screwed my morning."
Head was pounding like crazy. I tried to sit up—everything went black.
He grabbed his phone. Tapped the screen.
"Minus five. Relationship points."
I dragged myself out to the kitchen. His breakfast dishes were still on the table.
Eggs, toast, milk. Same as always.
But nothing for me.
Laundry basket—his shirt and pants from yesterday were gone. Already washed.
My soaked dress? Still sitting there.
He only washed his stuff.
I got an Uber to the ER.
Crowded. Loud. Felt like I was gonna pass out.
Doctor gave me meds. Said I needed an IV.
Took my temp—102.5.
"You need someone to sign off on this. Family member?"
I stared at my phone. Took forever, but I called Kai.
He picked up after like ten rings.
"What."
"I'm at the hospital. Fever's bad. Doctor needs someone to—"
"You know I'm booked. Check my calendar."
"It'll take like two seconds. Just need a signature."
Silence.
"I got forty minutes. Tops. Twenty to drive there and back. Twenty to sit with you."
I closed my eyes. "Okay."
"Can you just grab a heating pad from downstairs?"
He hung up.
My phone buzzed. He'd sent me a delivery app link.
"Just order it."
Kai showed up exactly ten minutes later.
Signed the form. Pulled out his laptop. Started working.
The IV drip was freezing. My arm went numb.
I didn't say anything. Just ordered the heating pad myself.
A nurse came to switch my meds. Looked at my hand.
"Whoa, how'd it get this bad? You allergic?"
That's when I noticed. My whole hand was covered in bumps. Red. Itchy as hell.
Beep. Kai's alarm.
He shut his laptop. Didn't look my way. Just got up.
"Kai, my hand—"
He stopped. Glanced over real quick.
"Yeah. Time's up though. Got a conference."
Then he left.
The nurse called for help. The lady in the next bed handed me her heating pad.
"Here, sweetie. Use mine."
Doctor came. Fixed the IV. Treated the allergic reaction.
I was alone the whole time.
By evening, my fever finally broke a little.
I was scrolling through Insta. Zoning out.
Saw Sloane's Instagram. Like ten stories. All from this afternoon.
Every one? Kai. Playing with her dog.
And he looked... I dunno. Happy. Relaxed. Patient.
I looked down at my swollen hand. At the bruises from the IV.
Then opened a resale app.
Listed that smart watch Kai had made for me. Custom job. Synced to his schedule. Reminded me what to do every damn second.
Didn't need that shit anymore.
Got home. Started packing.
Everything he'd picked out—his taste, his rules, his whole "aesthetic" thing—all went in boxes.
Place looked empty.
But I felt lighter than I had in forever.
Next morning, Kai woke up. Reached for his water. The glass I always left on his nightstand.
Not there.
Went to his closet. Looking for his ironed shirts.
Nothing.
Checked his watch. "You're eight minutes off today."
I was at the table with donuts and coffee. Stuff he'd never let me have.
Didn't even look up. "That's your problem."
His face went dark. Probably thought I was still pissed about the anniversary.
He didn't say shit. Just grabbed his stuff and slammed the door.
That afternoon, I heard the lock turn.
Kai walked in. With Sloane.
Chapter 3
Kai had this rule—no one comes into our place. Ever.
One time my best friend got dumped. Needed to crash. Just one night.
Kai kicked her out.
But now? Sloane's here wearing my slippers. On my couch. Like she owns the place.
Eating ice cream. Making a huge mess. All over the carpet.
Kai goes over. Hands her a napkin.
"Careful. Don't get sticky."
So nice about it.
Me? I spilled coffee once.
He threw out my whole setup. Everything. Even all those beans I'd spent forever collecting.
I kept packing. Ignored them.
Sloane walks into my studio. Doesn't ask.
"Oh my god you're like so talented!"
Starts touching my paints. The ones Kai makes me organize by color.
Getting them all mixed up.
Then grabs her boba. Walks over to my easel.
Next second—splash.
Whole thing spills.
All over the painting I'd been working on. Six months. For that competition.
Kai hears the crash. Comes in. Looks at the mess.
Blames me first.
"Told you to cover your stuff."
Then turns to Sloane. Voice goes soft. "You're okay. Don't worry about it."
Looks at me again. "Just a painting. Not like it was gonna sell anyway. No big deal."
I stared at the canvas. Completely soaked.
Felt nothing.
I picked it up. Walked to the corner.
Fed it into the shredder.
Thing roared.
Kai looked shocked.
I smiled at him. Real calm. "You're right. Total trash. Should've tossed it years ago."
That night, Kai actually said sorry.
"Didn't mean your painting was garbage," he goes. "Just trying to make Sloane feel better."
"You wanna redo it? Make me a list. I'll get someone to buy the stuff."
How sweet.
Five years. He never gave a shit about my art.
Hell, he didn't even know what I painted.
I turned over. "Forget it."
Next day I had to grab my grandma's stuff from the watch place.
Kai said he'd take me. But with Sloane hanging around? Yeah right.
Still. He kept bugging me about it all morning.
"Don't forget—we gotta get your grandma's watch."
Then stopped. "If we're late it's whatever. I cleared everything."
I looked at him. Couldn't read his face.
Was that... guilt?
Guilt for what? I'd lost way more than some painting.
Five years' worth.
Little late for sorry now.
On the way to the shop, Kai's phone rang.
Sloane. Crying.
Her presentation tanked. Client went off on her. In front of everyone. She needed Kai to come save her.
Kai's got this rule though. Never bails people out of their own mess.
Like that time he wouldn't bring me my student ID. I missed the exam. The one that would've gotten me into design school.
But this was Sloane.
So yeah. No hesitation.
U-turn. Right there on the freeway.
Cars honked. People yelled.
I checked my phone. Watched the route flip.
"Shop closes at five."
He didn't even glance over. "A watch can wait. Sloane's project? Millions on the line."
"Your drama is screwing up my whole day. Seriously. Can you not?"
He pulled up outside her building.
Rain started.
Kai unbuckled. "Stay here. Won't take long. Then we'll grab the watch."
He locked me in. Walked over to where Sloane was waiting for him.
I watched the clock on the dashboard.
Forty-five minutes.
Two hours.
Sky went dark.
Through the rain I could see them. Second floor. Those massive windows.
Kai leaning over. Being all patient. Helping her fix her stuff.
Fancy dessert box right there on the table. He'd picked it up for her.
Me in this car? Didn't even get water.
His alarm. You know, the one that never shuts up. Always telling him what to do.
Off.
Phone on silent. Nobody interrupting.
Not even me.
It was completely dark when I finally gave up.
Seven hours. I sat there for seven hours.
Shop guy texts me: [Closed already. I'll keep it but I'm leaving town tomorrow.]
Screen lights up my face. I looked awful. Like death.
Kai's time was so precious. Couldn't waste one second.
But mine?
My time? My plans?
Worth nothing.
I pulled off the ring. That plain one I'd worn for five years.
Threw it on the dash. House keys next to it.
Then opened the car door. Stepped out.
Freezing rain everywhere.
Five years. Everything on his schedule. His rules. His world.
Over.
I was done.
