Chapter 10
The rain kept coming down harder, drumming relentlessly against the windowpane.
That night, I got a call from an unknown number.
Without thinking much of it, I answered.
It was Jaime..
“I picked up the box you threw out…” His breathing grew heavier. “Gracie, I don’t understand how we ended up like this…”
I was about to hang up before he could finish.
“Don’t! Let me say what I need to say!” Jaime pleaded.
I fell silent.
“I… I read that diary.”
For a moment, there was only his rough, hoarse voice on the other end.
My mind went blank, but then everything snapped into place–Jaime was talking about the diary I’d written for him. The only one I had, the one. he’d given me when I was ten. It was my most treasured gift.
From that day on, I made it a habit to write in it, year after year.
That diary had become a delicate chronicle of my feelings, capturing the depth of my affection for him over the years.
I poured my heart into every page, recording every little moment between
Chapter 10
us, every laugh, every tear. To me, those memories were priceless.
Each sheet was etched with my longing for him, a record of every second I loved him feelings as fresh and vivid as the day they began.
I’d always imagined that, someday in the future, if we ever walked down the aisle together, I’d hand him that diary–my long, unspoken confession, every word a testament to how deeply I loved him.
“But… didn’t I throw it away?”
I paused.
The truth was, I’d gone back and retrieved it.
Jaime’s voice trembled. He spoke quietly, “I’m sorry, Gracie. I read your diary. I never realized how much it hurt you seeing me with Celia. I’m really sorry. I’ve ignored your feelings for so long. Honestly, from the moment I threw that coffee at you, I regretted it… I-”
“Jaime.”
I interrupted him.
“When did you pick it up?”
His voice cut off, as if something invisible had severed the line.
“It’s been days since you found it, hasn’t it?” I asked with a gentle smile. “So why are you only calling me about it tonight? Did you just happen to open it today?”
“I..
His voice sounded hollow, empty.
Chapter 10
“Don’t bother explaining, Jaime. It doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Gracie, that’s not-”
I shook my head, my tone soft. “Jaime, you should know by now- apologies and confessions that come too late can’t fix what’s broken. All they do is make the leftover memories feel even more out of place.
“That diary doesn’t mean what it used to. There’s no reason to keep it now. Just throw it away. Let the past stay in the past.
“And don’t call me again.”
I finally hung up.
On the other end, Jaime let out a broken, animal sob.
