No More Waiting, She Chooses Love novel Chapter 58

I took a generous gulp of my drink. "Ernest's already left."

"Huh?" Fanny was sitting cross-legged across from me, curiosity all over her face.

"I turned him down, and he left. Off to work, he said, just like that," my words left Fanny momentarily stunned.

"He left? Didn't even try a bit harder?" Fanny shook her head. "Man, his game is weak."

"He knew when to back off, not the clingy type," I couldn't help but think of Ernest's rough and rugged demeanor as I spoke of him.

Fanny tilted her head, looking at me. "If he had pursued you a bit, would you have..."

"No!" I cut her off, "I wouldn't heal wounds from one man with another."

"Guess no one can easily replace Conrad," Fanny concluded.

I smiled faintly. "Conrad agreed to break up."

Fanny froze, and I set down my glass, saying, "I stopped by to shower and change before I go clear things up with Herschel and Jacqueline at the Wagner place about Conrad and me. It's totally over."

I lowered my head as I said that. It wasn't about not letting go or feeling relieved. The emotions were complex and difficult to articulate.

It had been ten years. I was giving up my love for Conrad, ten years of my youth, and all the beautiful expectations and aspirations for love.

Fanny seemed to sense my mood, stretching her long legs to hook mine. "Let it go. The old must make way for the new."

"Heh," I chuckled, "Yeah, out with the old, in with the new."

As I said that, I stood up. "I'm going to take a quick shower."