When I Stopped Waiting Chapter 2

Suzanne's POV

It wasn't until 2:00 am that a driver finally accepted my ride.

When I got home, Julian stood up from the couch.

"Why didn't you say you were headed my way? I could've driven you home."

He asked as if it were no big deal.

I wanted to say, "Couldn't you tell they deliberately interrupted me to push you and Capri together? Couldn't you have offered to take me home yourself?"

But I swallowed the words instead of saying them.

"I forgot."

As I walked closer, I noticed he was wearing matching pajamas.

He had always avoided matching clothes with me, even when we were at home. He didn't want anyone to suspect we were together.

I felt a little touched. "Didn't you say you didn't want matching things?"

Julian was about to say something, but before he could answer, Capri walked out of the bathroom wearing the matching set.

"I asked him to put it on." She grinned. "The matching sets from this shop are cheaper, but I didn't know what size the men's pajamas were. So I asked Julian to try them on for me."

My expression stiffened, and the little spark of happiness I had felt vanished.

I had thought he'd seen my resignation and wanted to make things right by finally going public with our relationship. Instead, it was all because of Capri.

She looked Julian up and down. "I think the men's size is a little too big for me. Forget it. I won't buy them.

"I don't have a boyfriend anyway, so there would be no one to wear them with."

Hearing the disappointment in her voice, Julian casually replied, "Then take this set with you."

Capri's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Julian barely reacted, but a faint smile appeared on his lips. "Yeah. Suzanne's never worn it anyway. It's just taking up space in her closet."

I lowered my head, tightening my fists before slowly relaxing them.

That's true. It was taking up space.

What's the point of wearing matching clothes alone? That was why I had left them sitting in my closet, untouched.

I had once believed I would live to see the day Julian made our relationship public and wore them with me.

Instead, I watched him give them to someone else.

"Take them. I'm never going to wear them anyway," I said.

Capri happily spun around. "Suzanne, you're the best!"

She paused, then added, "By the way, I'm scared to stay alone during the hurricane. Can I stay here with you two? I won't stay long."

I slipped into my house slippers and walked away. "Do whatever you want."

I was leaving soon anyway. It didn't matter how long she stayed.

After I got into bed, Julian suddenly spoke. "Why are you so quiet tonight? You used to get pretty upset whenever I gave away those useless matching things."

I froze in the darkness.

When Julian and I first got together, I happily bought all kinds of matching things like mugs, house slippers, umbrellas, and pens.

I replaced almost everything around me with matching versions.

The next day, however, Julian gave away his half as a random prize.

Some coworkers noticed that the things Julian gave away matched the ones I had, and they mocked me behind my back for being Julian's obsessed admirer.

I became the company's laughingstock.

What hurt was that he could've simply told me he didn't like matching things. Instead, he chose the most hurtful way to show it.

After that, he even avoided getting into the same elevator as me so no one would suspect we were dating.

I was angry and refused to speak to him after that.

But then Julian took me to his wine cellar and pointed to the bottles covering the walls.

He told me every single one of them was priceless.

They had all been made the year I was born, and he had planned to open them only on our wedding day.

I had always believed Julian's love was hidden in the things he didn't say. I thought he just wasn't good at expressing himself.

It wasn't until I saw him taking Capri's drinks, serving her food, and trying on matching pajamas with her that I finally understood.

Some things didn't need to be said. You could see the love from their actions.

And when someone had to force it to look like love, it was easy to see the act for what it was.

I kept my voice even. "Didn't you say those matching things were useless? If they're pointless, then it doesn't matter if they're given away."

Julian fell silent.