Ch. Mr.chatterbox for her, Mr.Icebox for me? Ice melts and so did my love. 31 Mr.chatterbox for her, Mr.Icebox for me? Ice melts and so did my love. 31

Chapter 10 

Sean stayed in my city for a week. 

That week, he did it all over again. Everything he used to do for Emma. For me this time. 

Every morning, warm breakfast appeared at my door. 

Never the same thing twice. 

Evenings, if the sky looked gray, an unopened umbrella hung from my 

doorknob. 

Late nights coming home from work, I’d spot him under the streetlights. Following at a distance. Making sure I got 

home safe. 

All the things I used to envy. Now they just made me tired. Numb. 

Seventh evening, I stopped him at the gate. 

“Go home,” I said. “Stop doing this.” 

“Nora, I just want to-” 

“Make it up to me.” I cut him off. “Give me everything you gave Emma. Fill in what you left out.” 

He didn’t deny it. Looked down. 

“Too late.” 

“Sean, everything you do now just reminds me how easily you gave these things to someone else. How stingy you were 

with me.” 

“Every day you stay here, every gesture like this-it doesn’t move me.” 

“It just makes me remember those five years more clearly. It makes me…” 

I paused. Said it clearly. 

“Hate you more.” 

I didn’t say anything else. Walked past him. Into the building. 

Chapter 10 

That night, around 2 a.m., rain woke me up. 

Got up for water. For some reason walked to the window. Pulled back the curtain. 

Yellow streetlight. Sean underneath it. 

Still there. 

Soaked. 

No umbrella. Just standing. Head tilted back. Staring up at my window. 

Next morning, before I left for work, he was gone. 

Never appeared again. 

A month later, I got an email. 

Sender was a string of code. 

Subject line: four words. 

“For Nora.” 

I opened it. Lots of links inside. 

A custom website logging every wish I’d ever mentioned. 

A calendar app that reminded me to bring an umbrella on rainy days. Sent notifications before my period with heating pads and ginger tea on the shopping list. 

A little game. Character in a white dress chasing the moon. 

Every level cleared, a message popped up. 

“Nora’s doing great.” 

“Nora, don’t be scared.” 

“Nora deserves to be loved.” 

I clicked through page after page. 

The more I saw, the more absurd it felt. 

Everything I used to want. Now actually in front of me. 

Se Did Me Lovel 

25.79% 

Chapter 10 

And I felt… nothing. Just empty. 

Snow fell on the screen. Code ran smooth and clean. 

You could tell Sean put work into this. 

Even more care than what he’d made for Emma. More complete. 

But I just watched quietly. 

Then my finger hovered. Pressed delete. 

Confirmation popped up. 

“Delete permanently?” 

I tapped yes. 

Page disappeared. 

Screen went blank again. 

Like those five years when I’d handed him my heart so carefully. 

Burned bright once. Hoped hard. Got messy. 

In the long run? It’d fade. No trace left. 

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