CHAPTER XIII: He loves me, he loves me not

Persephonè felt herself unraveling. The fears she tried so hard to bury were beginning to surface in ways she no longer recognized. A visit with her sister, though, would come to push her over the edge.

Katrina was trying to tell her to leave Matthias due to his drinking. She understood the concern, but maybe the issue would correct itself with time. Did her sister really expect her to go through this all alone? She didn't understand why she was doing this now. Katrina then began to give her more reasons. She recalled a night from her past during one of her drunken house parties. Matthias would sometimes go to them. This didn't really surprise Persephonè. After all, they had all once been friends. It surprised her that Katrina had never mentioned to her that they still occasionally hung out. She further explained that at one in particular, he thought she was too drunk and tried to lead her downstairs, insinuating that he had bad intentions.

This shocked Persephonè

She stood there blank-faced for a moment.

Confused by all she was hearing.

She wasn't given much time to process though, as Katrina was not finished. She continued to let her know that Matthias had tried to date her before and confessed to her that he always liked her better, but she was always taken.

Persephonè's heart dropped.

It couldn't be true.

"Why would you want to be with a man like that, especially after knowing you'll always have to wonder if he would rather be with me?" Katrina asked

Persephonè couldn't answer.

She felt time slow around her.

It felt as though every memory she had of Matthias had suddenly become a lie.

She had to get out of there.

It didn't make sense to her. If Matthias really tried to take advantage of her, why would she suggest for Persephonè to date him? If she really knew that Matthias liked her better, why would she plant those seeds? It didn't add up. It was either all false or her sister was worse than she thought. This news not only planted a seed, but a whole garden of wilted flowers. She talked to Matthias about if he would rather be with her sister, and he said that it wasn't true and he always liked her in high school. Though, he let it slip that while Katrina and Jett were on a break, they had had a small fling that Katrina made him promise to never reveal. Persephonè tried to ask him what that meant, but he preserved the details of their fling to stay partially loyal to his promise. Things went blank after that.

She couldn't bring herself to plan the wedding. Matthias had all the ideas. He picked the reception. He picked the baby's name if it were to be a boy....Nathan Jeremy, after his drinking buddies. Shocker. She couldn't even choose flowers. Persephonè had no excitement to give. She tried to go through the motions but she was too numb to continue. He could tell she wasn't excited and started to pull away too. After that conversation with Katrina, every plan for the future felt borrowed from someone else's life.

One morning, when he was supposed to come to her apartment to take Anne to the zoo....he never showed. She first was hurt, but it turned to concern that something had happened. Could he be drunk in a ditch somewhere? He didn't answer her call. She reluctantly resorted to calling one of his friends. She heard lots of noise in the background. She asked if he knew where he was.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Look, I'm not trying to bother you, I'm just trying to make sure he is okay. We had plans today and he didn't show up" She pleaded.

There was a pause.

"He's here, he's fine"

"Thank you." She said and hung up.

She met up with him later and quietly handed him the tiny box holding his mothers ring.

It never belonged to her.