Chapter 640

The closet was a shared space between him and Aubree, split down the middle–or at least. that was the theory. The reality was Aubree, ever the fashionista, had claimed the lion’s share for her endless wardrobe. She could go a whole year without wearing the same outfit twice–from the freshness of spring to the cold of winter, every single day.

Seeing the closet as it was, the anger in his eyes softened. Aubree hadn’t taken her clothes, which meant, despite storming off in a huff, she’d likely be back within a week. He exhaled a sigh of relief, closed the closet door, and made his way back to the living room.

Meanwhile, Tessa had arrived at the entrance and caught sight of the his–and–hers slippers on the rack. Her heart ached anew, nearly causing her to cough up blood from the emotional wound.

It seemed only then that Andrew realized he hadn’t come home to an empty house tonight. “Come on in, Tessa, the wind’s biting out there,” he said, his voice a little awkward.

He grabbed a broom and began sweeping up the broken shards on the floor, clumsily gathering the dirty clothes from the couch and tossing them into the washing machine. But the thing was, the machine was Aubree’s domain. He hadn’t the faintest idea how to operate it. What in the world were these round buttons and blinking lights all about?

His brows knitted in frustration, turning the machine this way and that, eventually caving and pulling out his phone to call Aubree. If she picked up, he was ready to let her have it. Why be so dramatic and leave without doing the laundry, cleaning up, leaving him to deal with the aftermath?

But Aubree didn’t answer, and a wave of unexplained loss washed over him.

Shivering, Tessa reached out from behind him and pressed the buttons on the washing machine. It whirred to life, the lights came on, and the drum began to spin. She said nothing, her face pale, her heart feeling as though it had been torn open, bleeding out endlessly.

Andrew seemed to remember the presence of another soul in the house and muttered a distracted “Thanks.”

The word was like a thousand needles to Tessa’s chest, the pain so intense she could barely breathe.

“No need for that between us, Andrew,” she whispered.

He stared blankly for a moment before snapping back to the present. He was fond of Tessa, but out of concern for her health, they had kept things uncomplicated–aside from the occasional kiss, nothing more.

Aubree was the one who laundered his shirts, socks, and trousers. She was the one who cooked his meals. Even in bed, they fit together with a comforting familiarity.

To Andrew, Aubree was like an ever–burning light in the darkness, initially too glaring but now painfully missed once extinguished. Even with Tessa there, the room felt too large, too empty.

10:46 Tessa wrapped her arms around him, her voice a plea, “Can we take a shower together? Please?”

From the moment she’d entered the room, she felt a strong sense of rejection. Everything here was tainted with Aubree’s shadow, and she desperately wanted to erase it.

“We’re getting married soon, Andrew. Your mom said she’d handle the wedding arrangements,” she tried to remind him, her voice trembling with urgency.

They had to get married; failure wasn’t an option. Andrew had always said he wanted to marry her. If not, what would she do?

Andrew looked down at her hands wandering over his chest. In this room filled with the essence of Aubree, he felt a sudden, overwhelming urge to flee.

He grabbed the keys from the table. “Let’s go somewhere else tonight. I have another place with staff that will look after you. Here, you’ll be all alone.”

Tessa’s eyes widened, and she could no longer hold back. She fainted.

“Tessa!” Andrew cried out, panic–stricken, as he rushed her to the hospital.