c h a p t e r  t w e n t y - t w o.

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Emptiness.

                When it seems that everything you know and love is gone, what is left inside is the most terrible sort of emptiness.

                It’s a dull, gnawing ache that never goes away completely.

                A reminder of what you had and what you can no longer have, maybe never ever again.

                It’s a yearning; an insatiable hunger for what doesn’t exist anymore.

                As Wendy drove back to her apartment, it took every ounce of whatever strength she had left not to cry, even though she felt like she had cried every tear that she had.

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I will love you until I die.

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There was loud music and constant chatter blaring through the apartment door. Amber must have had some friends over.

                Wendy took a deep, shaky breath before unlocking the door and walking in.

                Amber stood right there and immediately turned to greet her roommate, but all merriment and color drained from her face when she saw Wendy.

                “Everybody out.” she said, loud enough for Kris, who was standing near her, to hear. He eyed her, a little confused. “...Everybody get out! The party’s over.”

                Wendy walked into her room as Amber’s friends reluctantly left the apartment one by one.

                After everybody had left, Amber joined her roommate in the latter’s bedroom.

                Neither of them spoke for a long time.

                “Sorry about all of the commotion.” said Amber, finally, “I expected you to be gone much longer, so I invited some people over.” There was a long pause. “...Wendy. What happened?”

                Tears filled the Wendy’s eyes as her facial expression simultaneously crumbled, and Amber knew everything that she needed to know. Instinctively, she held her arms out so that her roommate could break down crying in her embrace.

                “Let it out, just let it out.” Amber said, patting the other’s back gently. She wasn’t good at being comforting, but she could sure try.

                “I gave him everything.” Wendy sobbed. “...How? How could it not have been enough?”

                There were many things that Amber wanted to say in response to that, but decided that it wouldn’t be fair of her to assume anything about the relationship and its dynamics. As her friend cried on her shoulder, she thought long and hard about what she could say instead.

                “...The pain is forever but this part━the horrible crying part where you think that you will die of mere sadness━this passes. It does get better than this, at least.”

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Wendy laid in bed, none too interested in getting up for the day. It was Tuesday, so she didn’t have to go to work, but part of her wanted to. Working, for all of its shortcomings, was the most profitable of distractions. And it was the only motivation she had left.

                Otherwise, she spent most of her time in bed, thinking of him.

                Two weeks of the New Year had already passed by.

                The world seemed so dull.

                Her world had always been dull, but at least before, she was content with the mediocrity and thrived in it. Now that she had had the opportunit