He Set Rules for Me but Broke Them All for Her Novel – Watching the sea at dawn, my best friend, Cora Llewellyn, and I were resting by the shore. The wind off the water was biting and damp. When it jolted me awake, I blinked into the darkness for a long moment before I realized Cora had a thick wool overcoat draped over her shoulders, blocking every gust that swept in. I was still in a thin short-sleeve tee. Remy Lawrence, my boyfriend of five years, leaned in and said, his voice low, “The wind’s strong out here. She’s always been cold-natured. She’ll catch a cold.” I didn’t answer. Remy was a man of fixed habits. In five years of dating, we’d never shared a single blanket. Our laundry went in separate loads, one after the other. Even at dinner, he’d use serving utensils to divide every dish in half. That same wool coat I’d worn once, and he gave me the cold shoulder for three days. I used to think it was just his personality. It wasn’t. He’d worry about Cora getting cold. He’d share fork with her.
\He’d naturally bite into a snack she handed him without a second thought. Even the way he explained things he’d lowered his voice, careful not to wake her. I scrolled through the camera roll on my phone. Thirty-four shots. Every single one was Cora, bright and lively, every strand of hair in focus. When it was my turn, I got one blurry half-eyed silhouette, features indistinguishable. And I finally saw it clearly. He was never a riddle too hard to solve. I was just never the the answer he was looking for. I was done taking a test I could never pass. ****** The sky was still dark, the wind picking up. I checked the time, 3:39 a.m. “Remy, I want to go back.” He shot me a disapproving glance and typed on his phone. A second later, my phone buzzed. [Cora just fell asleep. Don’t wake her.] The light from the screen caught his serious brow. The wind pushed my bangs into my eyes, stinging a little. Cora had mentioned in our group chat a couple days ago that she’d been struggling with insomnia, so he’d planned this whole beach trip to help her unwind. I pulled up our private chat history.
Two weeks ago, I’d messaged him: [Work’s been killing me. I can’t sleep. What do I do?] Back then, my proposals kept getting rejected. I lay awake night after night, just wanting him to say something. Even if he’d just dropped a single melatonin gummy on my nightstand. However, he never replied. Around that same time, Cora dropped a movie link in our three-way group chat. [New movie just came out. Who wants to go with me?] Remy replied instantly with a screenshot of his ticket purchase. Only two tickets. None for me. I saw that message while waiting at a crosswalk in light rain. A car sped through a puddle and splashed my white dress with muddy water. I pulled out my phone to vent to them only to realize they were already at the theater. Cora posted a few photos in the group, tagging me: [It was SO good, Marnie. You totally missed out!] I let out a bitter laugh. Typed and deleted, typed and deleted. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to go. There was just never a seat for me in their plans.
Why would I have gone anyway? Cora stirred, pulled the coat tighter around herself, and sniffed the collar with practiced ease. “Still that freesia scent.” She leaned over and glanced at the camera in my hand. “Not bad at all, Remy. You’ve got an eye.” Her left hand accidentally brushed the button and scrolled to the last shot. It was a serene close-up of her sleeping face. Must have been taken while she was dozing. “Ahhh! Remy, you creep!” She laughed, swatting at him playfully. “Marnie, do something about your boyfriend!” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his expression. His lips were curved up, a smile he’d never given me. He’d quietly capture her asleep, but the few photos he’d taken of me? I’d had to beg and wheedle for every single one. In the past, I’d have cried and demanded answers. But now, listening to the waves crash, I suddenly couldn’t find the words. I spoke softly, “I need to go.
I have work tomorrow.” Their laughter stopped. Remy frowned, his tone turning cold. “You insisted on coming, and now you’re the one demanding to head back.” He sighed. “Marnie, can you just act mature for once?” Something lodged in my throat. I swallowed the bitterness and pressed down the feeling. “I won’t do it again.” “Marnie, don’t be upset…” Remy reached out and gently pressed her hand down before she could gesture. “Ignore her. She’s just sulking. She’ll be fine in a couple days.” I walked off the sand and pulled out my phone to call a ride. I waited a long time.
My legs were numb. A single streetlamp flickered on in the distance, and I could just make out Cora leaning against Remy’s shoulder. I turned my head and opened the door of the cab that pulled up in front of me.