His Heart Stayed Flat for Me, Raced for Her, I Stayed for Neither Chapter 11

His Heart Stayed Flat for Me, Raced for Her, I Stayed for Neither Chapter 11

Before the semester started, I went back home 

with my parents to visit relatives. 

Four years later, I was back at the Whitmores‘ 

house. 

Mr. and Mrs. Whitmore were just as welcoming as 

ever. 

Mrs. Whitmore gently chided me for leaving so suddenly without saying goodbye. She said she. 

was worried about me. 

She said that if she had known Caleb and me were 

together back then, she never would have said 

those things about Olivia. 

She also said Caleb had never let go of me. 

He didn’t date anyone in college, and after graduation, he took over the family business. 

There was never another girl. 

We talked for a long time that afternoon. 

I could finally look back at all those people and 

memories and feel nothing. 

As I was leaving the Whitmores‘ house, it started 

to rain. 

I was about to cover my head with my bag when I 

looked up and saw an umbrella held over me. 

It was Caleb. 

Four years had passed. He was still handsome, 

but there was a new seriousness in his 

expression. 

He looked like he had rushed home, his tie was 

crooked. 

Caleb offered to walk me home. 

Our houses were barely a minute apart. I could 

have walked there in thirty seconds. But he 

insisted on walking me. 

We had walked this same path a thousand times. 

But today, it felt unfamiliar. 

Caleb chose his words carefully. “Emily… 

congratulations on getting into graduate school.” 

I said flatly, “Thanks.” 

What should have been a one–minute walk took us 

ten. Neither of us said anything. 

Just as I was about to go inside, Caleb said my 

name. “Emily.” I turned around. 

Caleb looked at me. His eyes held too many 

emotions for me to read. 

“I’m sorry. And… I’m still going to wait for you.” 

I looked at his stubborn face and sighed. “Don’t 

wait for me, Caleb.” 

“I’ve already moved on. You should too.” 

After I said that, I closed the door. 

From outside, I heard the sound of Caleb crying. 

His sobs mixed with the falling rain and grew 

louder. 

But my life would never be stuck in a rainy season 

again.