You're My Past Novel by Ajawiss _ Novel



You're My Past Chapter 01

Seven years married to Stewart Richmond, we bumped into each other at some upscale restaurant.
He was having a candlelit dinner with Ophelia Gardner, while I was there for a work thing with a client.
We locked eyes for a split second, then both looked away like nothing had happened.
After my dinner, there he was, waiting in his car.
I mumbled thanks and got into the back seat on my own initiative.
Halfway home, he suddenly hit the brakes.
"Georgina, I ended things with Ophelia today. For good."
Words failed me. I could only manage a stiff smile.
Honestly, it didn't matter to me either way.
I stopped loving him a long time ago.
***
Ophelia's sticker was still plastered on the passenger seat.
The night was thick and hazy. Those declarations that once looked so brazen now seemed faded.
Maybe I was too calm. Stewart's brows furrowed slightly in the rearview mirror.
"I'm thinking of visiting your parents in a few days. When does it work for you?"
I froze, then instinctively said no.
"They're not doing great lately. Probably you'd better not go."
He hadn't set foot at home since he started seeing Ophelia.
Four years, if I did the math.
The second those words left my mouth, his face fell.
I tensed up, about to explain myself, when I heard him sigh, "Fine. Your call."
Then he started the car again.
The rain came down harder, drumming against the windows.
The car went quiet.
No one said a word.
Looking out at all that rain, I was lost in my own head.
It had been ages since we were this peaceful.
Last time we saw each other, we were basically enemies.
Now here we were, sitting calm as anything in the same car.
When we pulled into the neighborhood, I snapped out of it.
Stewart had taken us back to where we used to live.
I started to explain, then caught his gaze and shut my mouth.
In the elevator, he suddenly broke the silence.
"How've you been all these years?"
I gave him a polite, distant smile.
"Pretty good."
He didn't seem to like that answer.
His eyes locked onto me, like he was trying to read something on my face.
It got awkward, so I stared at the floor numbers, hoping they'd move faster.
When the doors opened, he said something, but I didn't catch it.
The elevator ding drowned it out.
When he unlocked the door with his fingerprint, he visibly froze.
Then a small smile crossed his face.
A second later, it died.
The place had been empty for ages.
The air was thick with that gross stink of mold and rust, sharp enough to make my eyes water.
Stewart flipped the switch, and his hand came away covered in dust.
I fished a tissue from my bag and handed it to him.
"Guess the electric bill hasn't been paid in a while," I said, my tone flat, like I was haggling over vegetables at some market.
He looked up, surprised.
"You...don't live here?"
I nodded, whipped out my phone, and paid the bill online.
The power came back on quickly.
Lights flipped on, and the house slowly came into view.
It looked exactly like I left it four years ago.
The wedding photos were torn to pieces, scattered across the floor.
Dark stains all over the couch and bed reminded me of everything that had happened here.
That was the mess from when I tried to kill myself, back when my depression was at its worst.
Seven years married to Stewart, here I was, back in this nightmare.
Honestly, it didn't hit me as hard as I expected.
We hadn't been this cool with each other in forever.
Stewart stood there with his head down, taking it all in.
I waited, but he didn't move. So I headed for the door.
"If you're staying tonight, call the property manager. They can get you a cleaner."
As I walked past, he grabbed my wrist.
"Where are you staying now? I'll drive you."
Every muscle in my body tensed.
I jerked my hand away like I had been shocked and stepped back, putting distance between us.
"No, thanks."
My rideshare was already downstairs.
I got out of there fast.
Back home, Dad and my brother, Andrew Parrish, were already asleep.
Mom was still up waiting for me.
"Why are you so late tonight? Something went wrong on the way?
"The food is cold. I'll heat it up. You go shower."
The second the hot water hit my skin, the gloom of the day lifted.
The scar on my wrist started acting up.
It had been like this for years.
It got itchy whenever it rained.
When I came out, Mom didn't look so good.
I turned around. There Stewart was in the living room.
He had actually followed me home.
Dad and Andrew came out of their rooms, too.
Their health had been shaky since four years back, so they usually went to bed early.
Stewart stood there in our living room like he owned the place.
"Andrew, it's been a while."

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