Chapter 13
The old man spoke again, then picked up a shrimp and placed it on Celeste’s plate.
Even with the patriarch’s presence keeping things in check, dinner still ended on a
sour note.
When they left, Philip dropped Celeste off at the bus stop without a word and drove away, leaving her behind in a cloud of dust,
Celeste didn’t react much. She quietly returned to her hotel and never reached out to Philip again.
She threw herself into tying up loose ends, making sure she severed every
connection she had in Silvercrest.
Now and then, she’d open the messages Viola sent her–updates packed with every detail of the past few days, no matter how trivial.
After feeling numb from heartbreak, Celeste found herself almost amused by it all. Viola, dancing desperately on the other end of the line, reminded her of a clown in a circus–frantic and pitiable.
Celeste never replied. She simply took screenshots and saved them, just in case she’d need them someday.
Monday arrived, as it always does. Her flight was booked for eleven thirty in the
morning.
She got up early, packed her bags, and was about to head downstairs for breakfast when Philip unlocked the door with his spare room key.
He was sharply dressed in a suit, but his face was drawn and tense.
Instinctively, Celeste moved her suitcase behind her, a flicker of panic flashing through her chest.
She had almost never been apart from Philip.
She remembered once, after a fight, he’d gotten drunk and grabbed her hand,
slurring that if she ever dared leave him, he’d drag her home and lock her up, never letting her see anyone again.
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Back then, even twisted words like that felt sweet because she was in love
But now, all that was left was resistance.
Philip stared at her for a long moment.
He’d been stewing for days, but Celeste hadn’t called, and the lack of control gnawed at him.
Seeing her quietly waiting in the room now, that tightness in his chest finally started
to ease.
“Leave your luggage here. I’ll have Chase pick it up later. Come on, let’s go get our marriage license.”
Once, that was all she’d ever wanted. Now, it didn’t stir a single ripple inside her.
She adjusted her backpack and looked at the elegant hand he held out to her.
“Not yet. I want you to come somewhere with me first.”
Philip checked his watch, patience flickering for once.
“Alright, but don’t take too long. I’ve got a meeting at ten.”
How generous of him, squeezing in their marriage license between boardroom appointments.
The car soon pulled up in the old part of town.
On either side of the uneven cobblestone street, weathered row houses stood in
quiet rows.
Since the area had been revamped as a tourist attraction, they’d never come back.
“What made you want to come here all of a sudden?” Philip parked the car, his handsome brow furrowing slightly. That hollow, anxious feeling churned inside him again.
He instinctively took Celeste’s hand, gripping it tight in his palm as if that would steady him.
Celeste didn’t pull away. She raised her other hand and pointed into the distance, toward the park.
It used to be a basketball court, before it was torn down.
“In junior year, a guy from the neighboring school tried to ask me out. You were furious and challenged him to a three–on–three game. You won, but ended up
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Chapter 13
hurting your leg. You were sobbing so hard, you made me promise to take care of you.”
“Then, after we got together in college, you dragged me out here in the middle of the night to set off fireworks and propose. I started school early–I was only seventeen then. You were so anxious to ‘lock it down‘.”
“Celly, what’s going on with you?” Philip interrupted, snapping her out of her memories.
Celeste turned to look at him.
“The first time we fought about Viola was here too. You left me alone on that half–demolished basketball court. I’m hopeless with directions. It took me over two hours to find my way home. My feet were bleeding by the time I got back.”
She’d never come back here after that.
Philip felt as if a giant hand had reached inside his chest and squeezed his heart,
hard.
He pulled her into his arms.
“Celly, all of that’s in the past. I only looked after Viola because-
Celeste gently pulled away.
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“Come on, let’s see what the new park looks like. I heard they kept all those little
try it out.” diners we used to love. It’s been ages since we ate there–let
