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Mal stared up at the ceiling and listened to Ben breathing rhythmically beside her. She sat up and twisted the ring around her finger.
It was a gold band with a huge chunk of a diamond protruding from the base. It loved to get in her way, catching on clothes and hair.
Mal slipped the ring off and got out of bed. She placed the ring on the bedside table and grabbed her phone. She walked out onto the balcony and clicked on her favourite contact.
The line began ringing. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ri–
“M.” Evie’s sleepy, mumbling voice came over the line.
“Hi, princess,” Mal whispered.
“What is it? You can’t come over; it’s one.” Mal winced at the slight annoyance present in Evie’s tone.
“I missed you, E,” Mal said. Evie sighed, the puff of air heavy and crackling over the phone.
“I missed you too,” Evie said after a moment of silence.
Mal didn’t know quite what to say after that. She hadn’t thought past her initial feeling of missing Evie. The silence stretched on, only the sound of their breathing present.
Evie’s breath was such a nicer song than the king’s.
“Is that all?” Evie questioned finally.
“Yeah, I guess.” Mal paused, listening again to Evie’s breath. “I love you.”
Evie didn’t answer. No sigh, just the continued push and pull of her breath.
“Good night, Evie,” Mal whispered after a long time.
“I wish you wouldn’t say things like that,” Evie said.
“But I do love you,” Mal answered. “I want you to know.” Evie did sigh then.
“You don’t love me enough, Mal. I’m so tired of coming in second place.”
“Evie–” The phone in her hand beeped. Evie had hung up.
⧱⧱⧱ ⧱⧱⧱
Mal hadn’t spoken to Evie in such a long time.
The last time she had seen the princess was at a gala. A flash of blue had caught her eye, but when she went to find Evie, she was nowhere to be found. Mal had asked around and been told that Evie had left a little after she and Ben had arrived.
Mal sat up in bed. Ben’s snoring was getting on her nerves. She picked up her phone, glancing at the ring on the nightstand.
She never wore it anymore. She had told Ben that it was just too big and he had promised her a smaller one for their next anniversary.
Mal went out to the balcony and clicked on her favourite contact. The line began ringing.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
The number you have dialled is no longer in service.
⧱⧱⧱ ⧱⧱⧱
Mal leaned against the headstone. She traced her pointer finger over the crown symbol.
In her note, Evie had said that she couldn’t stand to live in a world without Carlos and that was why she was gone. Mal thought that was true, but also that she was somewhat at fault.
She hadn’t been able to love Evie enough. She hadn’t trusted that everything would be ok if she divorced Ben. She had wanted them both.
Ben for his security and Evie… Evie for her love.
Flowers were littered around Evie’s grave. So many people came each day to give her flowers and tiaras. Mal had left a specialty crown for Evie today. She came to the cemetery every day.
Usually, she just left flowers, but today was Evie’s birthday so she needed something special. It was cold so all the people who had come to give Evie presents had left. Mal stayed, sitting in front of the headstone and leaning back against it.
She couldn’t leave. She couldn’t abandon Evie again.
Mal slipped off her ring and stood up. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of the headstone. She walked over to Ben. He had been waiting by a tree as she sat there at her lover’s grave.
Mal handed him the ring. She began walking back to the limo.
“Um, Mal?” Ben asked, catching up to her.
“I love her, Ben,” Mal said. “I… I want a divorce. Please, don’t try to change my mind.”
Ben stopped walking. Mal kept going, leaving him among the gravestones. He squeezed the chunk of a ring in his hand and then dropped it onto the manicured grass.