Heather

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When Robin leaves an hour too late, I'm left alone in the apartment with my ugly thoughts.

Mom would kill me if she knew I had sex with someone else.
A: A woman.
B: While I'm getting engaged to Javis.

She'd probably say something like, "Heather, you're throwing away everything we've worked for!"

The we being her and my father, of course. Because nothing in my life has ever truly been mine. It's always been about the family, the legacy, the expectations.

Javis is part of that. A perfect addition to the immaculate puzzle my parents have been piecing together since I was born.

He's handsome in a magazine-cover way, with dimples that could charm a room and a laugh that's just the right level of deep.

Mom loves to say, "You two will have the most beautiful children."

Not that it's about the kids. It's about the optics.

A union with Javis won't just secure my family's wealth; it'll ensure that the Todd name continues to carry weight in the circles my parents care about. It's the ultimate merger.

Love isn't required.

And I agreed to it.

I sit on the edge of the couch, pulling the blanket Robin used tightly around me. It still smells faintly like her that clings to the air even though she's gone.

I don't know why I let her stay the whole weekend. That wasn't the plan.

The plan was simple: go out Friday night, have fun, forget my responsibilities for a few hours, and wake up alone. But Robin changed that.

She's not supposed to be on my mind now, but there she is, with her quick wit and that stupidly broad smile. I can still see her sitting here, letting me steal her pizza slices like it was the most natural thing in the world.

I let out a long, shaky breath and sink back into the cushions.

What the hell am I doing?

My phone buzzes on the table, breaking through the silence. I lean forward, half hoping it's Robin because despite our goodbye stating nothing about calling each other, I still want her to call me somehow.

It's not.

It's Javis.

Dinner tomorrow? Let's finalize the engagement party details.

Of course. The engagement party. The big, shiny, performative event where we'll announce to the world that we're joining forces like a business deal signed in cursive on gilded paper.

The thought makes my stomach turn.

I should be thrilled, shouldn't I? I should want to be the perfect fiancée, planning the perfect wedding, building the perfect future with Javis. But instead, all I can think about is how none of this thrills me.

I type out a quick response: Sure. What time?

The moment I hit send, guilt settles over me.

Javis doesn't deserve this. He doesn't know that while I'm agreeing to meet him tomorrow, I'm sitting here wrapped in a blanket that smells like another woman.

Robin.

I close my eyes and let my head fall back against the couch. The weekend plays in my mind like a reel I can't stop.

Robin's laugh, the warmth of her skin against mine, the way she made me beg for her to let me orgasm. It's not just the physical stuff, though. It's the ease of it all.

For two days, I didn't have to think about being Heather Todd, the perfect daughter, the future Mrs. Javis. I just... existed.

But that's over now.

I stand up, trying to shake it off. The apartment feels too quiet now with Robin gone.

I glance at the clock. Almost 7 p.m. I should clean up, maybe throw in a load of laundry. Do something randomly productive to stop the memories from creeping in.

Instead, I find myself pacing the room. My thoughts bounce between Robin and Javis, between what I want and what's expected of me.

What I could have and what I have.

Robin doesn't fit into the life my parents want for me. Hell, she doesn't fit into the life I've convinced myself I need.

She's chaos, unplanned and unpredictable, and I can't afford that.

But then I think about Javis. Perfect, dependable Javis. He'd never laugh as loudly as Robin does or do anything stupid without apologizing first.

He's the kind of man who holds doors open and says "please" and "thank you" because it's the polite thing to do.

He doesn't make me feel alive.

And yet, he's exactly what my parents want. What I'm supposed to want.

I sigh, dragging my hands through my hair. This isn't about me. It never has been.

My engagement to Javis isn't just a personal decision-it's a strategic move. A way to solidify my family's standing, to ensure we remain at the top of the social and financial food chain.

Nothing less.

I hear my mother's voice in my head: Heather, you can't throw away this opportunity. You and Javis will have everything-a beautiful home, a stable life, and grandchildren who will make us proud.

Grandchildren. As if that's the ultimate prize.

I walk into the kitchen, grabbing the leftover pizza box and shoving it into the trash. The scent of cold cheese and tomato sauce lingers, a reminder of the weekend I'm trying to erase.

My phone buzzes again. This time, it's a text from my mom.

Don't forget to wear the bracelet Javis gave you to dinner tomorrow. His mother loves it.

I want to scream.

Instead, I put the phone face down on the counter and lean against the sink, staring out the window.

The city skyline glows in the distance, and for a moment, I wonder what it would be like to leave it all behind. To pack a bag, get on a plane, and disappear.

But that's not who I am.

I'm Heather fucking Todd the dutiful daughter, the soon-to-be-wife, the woman who never breaks the rules.

Except I already have.

Robin was the first rule I broke, and now I'm not sure I can stop.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying to steady myself.

Tomorrow, I'll have dinner with Javis.

I'll smile and nod and pretend everything is fine. I'll wear the bracelet his mother loves and talk about engagement party venues like I'm actually excited about them.

But tonight, just for a little while longer, I'll let myself think about Robin.

Her laugh. Her smile. The way she made me feel like I could be someone else-someone better, someone free.

And as much as I hate myself for it, I know I'll be thinking about her long after tomorrow night.

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