In Pieces
⠀
Chapter One
Façade
⠀
⠀
“Sapphire Shores?”
“Met her. She was pretty great, too. Bit of an ego, but not really in a stuck up way.”
Amber Glow was leaning against her bed, while her brother, Fox Glove, was lying on top of it on his back, with his head dangling off next to her. “What do you mean?” he asked.
“Like, you know how everypony knows she’s the best? Well, so does she. But as long as you just go along with the ego, she’s actually super friendly. I heard that you never want to catch her on a bad day, though.”
“You never seem to catch anypony on a bad day, though.”
Amber tapped her chin. “Well, I think Countess Coloratura was having a bad day or something when I saw her. Didn’t meet her exactly, she just ducked into her private cart and stayed there the whole way.” She scrunched up her nose. “Her manager kept requesting things for her. He was kind of a dick.”
Fox Glove laughed. Their parents were always telling Amber to watch her language around him – well, to watch her language in general, since she was a lady and all – but she remembered being thirteen. Her brother was ‘a good boy, who never swore’, which just meant he never swore around their parents.
“What about Trixie?”
“Nah, I don’t think she takes the train much.” Amber grinned. “There. You finally found somepony I haven’t met. Happy now?”
“Yup, that’s all I ever wanted in life. I can die happy now.”
“Hey hey hey –” Amber tried to muss his mane, but he rolled out of the way “– I didn’t give up traveling just for that. I better at least get to watch you graduate first. Then you can die.”
“What if I drop out?”
“Then you’ll still die, but that’ll be because Mom and Dad kill you.”
Fox Glove grinned. “That’s what I have you for. You’ll protect me.”
“Are you kidding?” Amber arched an eyebrow. “If you drop out of school and they don’t kill you, I will.”
“That’s not fair,” Fox Glove protested. “You dropped out.”
“And that, my darling brother, is why you won’t. So help me, you’re not going to be living with Mom and Dad when you’re twenty-four.”
He shrugged. “Eh, maybe I’ll just do what you did. Professional vagabond.”
“Uh huh.” Amber looked at him doubtfully. “You know that means you have to talk to ponies you’re not related to, right?”
“Besides,” he said smugly as he ignored her question, “I won’t turn into a lovesick foal and give up on it.”
“Now that makes sense,” Amber said. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. “Don’t forget that. Love’s a bitch.”
“Amber Glow!” her mother chided from the doorway, causing Amber to bolt upright.
“Uh, hi, Mom,” Amber said. She could only smile sheepishly at her mother’s stern gaze.
Wisteria Mist walked into her daughter’s room, shaking her head as she picked stray things off the floor. “I came to tell you that Caramel is here, but you’re not even ready!”
Amber rolled her eyes. “I’ve been ready for, like, an hour.”
“Like that?” her mother deadpanned. “You plan on going on a date looking like that?”
“What’s wrong with the way I look?”
“Did you do anything to get ready for tonight?”
Amber folded her forelegs. “I brushed my mane.”
Honestly, she knew it wasn’t going to get her very far. Wisteria turned to Fox Glove instead. “Foxy, go tell Caramel that Amber will be a few minutes.”
“Okay.” He hopped off the bed and gave Amber a sympathetic look on the way out.
Wisteria sighed and shook her head. When she turned to address her daughter again, she smiled slightly and spoke in a softer tone. “What am I going to do with you? Come on, let’s get started.”
Reluctantly, Amber got up and stood beside her mother in front of her mirror. All it served to do was remind her that her mom was prettier than she ever would or wanted to be. They had the same wavy mane and were both on the small side for pegasi, but that was the end of their similarities. Amber had a dark brown coat, which was dotted with tan spots. Her mane was a lighter shade of brown and was obnoxiously long. She’d let it grow out past her shoulders before finally putting her hoof down, and her mom still couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t grow it out more than that.
While Amber had pretty much looked awkward ever since it became apparent she wasn’t growing out of her spots, Wisteria Mist had a natural sort of grace to her. She was pale pink, and was the only one in the family who was lucky enough to have her coat be one even color. Whereas Amber’s mane was most often an unruly mess, her mother’s mane always seemed to cascade perfectly, alternating between waves of purple and white. The only trait that Amber genuinely liked about herself was her bright golden eyes, but even those paled in comparison to her mother’s deep green.
“You could at least try applying your own makeup once in awhile,” Wisteria said, although she was smiling playfully.
It was no secret that her mom actually enjoyed helping her get all girly, so Amber put up with it as good-naturedly as she could. “You know, I did once, and that was a mistake. I think Caramel will appreciate me leaving it to the expert.”
Wisteria gave a dainty laugh and began applying Amber’s makeup. Amber hated the feeling of it and tried to distract herself by figuring out what her mom was doing. Was that one lipstick or lipgloss? Amber never could tell them apart. Okay, that one was definitely mascara. And blush… right? That was blush?
In the end it didn’t exactly matter what it was, because Amber hated it. The mare looking back at her didn’t look like her, or at least not the version of herself she wanted to be. It always astounded her that she even could look so feminine. She smiled anyway. “Thanks, Mom. It looks fantastic.”
“My beautiful girl,” her mom gushed. “And what should we do about perfume?”
Amber grinned. “It’s Caramel. You know which one he likes.”
Wisteria giggled. “Of course.” She picked up a bottle – oh, so that’s the one he likes – and spritzed it on her. It didn’t smell bad. In fact, on any other pony Amber would have enjoyed it. But on herself? Definitely not.
“So what do you think?” Wisteria asked. She wound up doing Amber’s makeup before every date, and every time, she always seemed a little nervous that Amber was going to tell her it wasn’t good enough.
“Seriously?” she asked with a practiced smile. “I’m gonna drive the poor boy crazy. Plus, you know, every other stallion we come across.”
Wisteria smiled and nodded. “Well, that ‘poor boy’ is waiting in the living room. Probably at your father’s mercy.”
“Aww, he likes Dad’s stories just fine,” Amber said as she followed her mom out of the room.
Sure enough, Caramel Macchiato was sitting on the living room couch next to Fox Glove, while Dusty Quartz was going on about a story from his past.
In a lot of ways, Amber always felt like she took after her father more. Dusty Quartz was bigger than her or Wisteria, but still small for an earth pony. He shared Amber’s more muted colors, having a gray coat covered in brown and white flecks. His mahogany brown mane was always kept short; no nonsense, just like the pony himself. Ponies were often somewhat intimidated by him – years spent working as a prospector had done a lot for his physique – but he had a warm smile and soft blue eyes that quickly put any fears to rest.
“You forgot about the spatula,” Fox Glove reminded him.
Dusty scratched his head. “You’re right. How in Equestria could I forget about the spatula?”
Between both children, Fox Glove was a more even mix of their parents. He had a pale purple coat and quiet nature, courtesy of their mom, as well as her wings. Like their dad, his coat was multicolored, growing even paler down his legs and completely fading to white around his hooves. Dusty also passed his spots to both children, and they appeared black on Fox Glove. He had his mother’s green eyes, which matched his sage green mane. His mane would probably match the texture of his mother’s and sister’s if he were ever allowed to grow it out.
“Darling,” Wisteria said, gently interrupting his story, “I think Caramel’s heard that one before.”
“That’s okay, ma’am,” Caramel said. “That story never gets old.”
“See?” Amber said. “Told ya he was fine.”
Caramel smiled at her. “You look lovely tonight, as always.”
“Thanks,” she said, fixing her face into a confident grin while she winked. “And might I say you’re not looking too bad yourself.”
He smiled bashfully. She knew he’d probably rather she didn’t compliment him like that in front of her family, but she never could resist teasing him.
“Well then, best not to let us hold you up,” Dusty said. “You two enjoy yourselves.”
“Of course,” Caramel said. “And don’t you worry about a thing, sir. I’ll be sure to take good care of your daughter.”
Dusty gave him a blank look. “Son, I don’t know what you think I’m still worried about, but I think it’s safe to say I trust you by now. How long have you two been together now?”
“Three years,” Amber and Caramel said together.
“You two are just so precious!” Wisteria said. Fox Glove made a gagging motion, which caused Amber to smile. “But your father’s right, you two have a reservation to keep. Run along, now.”
Caramel nodded and led them to the door, where he turned to wave. “Goodbye, everyone. See you all next week.”
Dusty waved, while Fox Glove was already preoccupying himself with homework. “Goodbye, dears,” Wisteria said. “Have fun!”
Amber grinned slyly. “Oh, I’m sure we will. Don’t stay up waiting for us.”
She saw her brother suppress a laugh as they walked out. Nopony else seemed to pay any attention to her innuendo. Even Caramel, who would have gone beet red when they first started dating at a comment like that, only looked slightly embarrassed. After three years, it seemed that they had all just come to expect it from her.
They stepped out into the brisk autumn air, and Caramel guided her to a carriage he had waiting. He hopped up first, then offered his hoof to help her up. She had to suppress an eye roll at the gesture. Caramel’s attempts at being the perfect gentlecolt never really endeared her as well as he seemed to think they did. Then again, the same could be said about their relationship in general; it just really didn’t work out as much as she let him believe.
She smiled graciously as she took her seat, and the carriage began moving.
“So how was your day?” Caramel asked.
Amber shrugged. “Not bad. Just packing for the big trip. A whole week without me, what are you even gonna do with yourself?”
“Why, spend it thinking of you, of course.”
Amber spared him the joke about what he’d be doing while thinking of her, and he just smiled that charming smile that made him so popular with all the mares in town. And, much to his embarrassment, he was rather popular with a lot of mares. Amber always found it amusing, although Caramel seemed to think it would make her jealous. Really, that was kind of amusing too, in its own way.
They talked about her upcoming trip out of town for a friend’s bachelorette party and wedding. She was leaving in the morning and would be back in eight days, making it the longest trip she’d made since quitting her job as a railway worker. Initially, she had divided her time between travelling and spending time with her family and coltfriend in Fillydelphia, but that soon became problematic. Apparently somepony found it odd that she would want to spend so much of her time away from him, doing who knows what with who knows who.
But as far as coltfriends went, she could be a lot worse off. True, their less than eye-catching coloring hardly made them stand out in a crowd, and Amber did get a lot of guilty pleasure at standing out. Caramel Macchiato was an earth pony with a reddish brown coat, with white around his muzzle, above his hooves, and on the tips of his ears. He kept his black mane long enough that her mom was always saying he should get it cut, but short and neat enough that she couldn’t really fault him. But what he lacked in standout looks, he did make up for with charm. Amber was never really interested in his attempts to woo her, which never ceased in the three years that they had been together, but he was very sociable, with an inviting personality. The two of them always become fairly popular in any social circle Amber didn’t ostracize them from, and even those that she did tended to still have a soft spot for him. Nice guy; shame about the radically liberal marefriend.
They stopped outside the restaurant. Caramel once again insisted on helping Amber down, so Amber once again pretended to appreciate the gesture. He gave a generous tip to their cab driver and led them inside.
Fromage was one of Amber’s favorite restaurants, and it had been the place they had their first date. She had been convinced that the evening would be absolutely miserable, but the friendly staff, delicious food, and yes, the charming stallion himself, all wound up working together to make her feel better about the whole thing. Since then, it had become a staple of their dates. Most anniversaries and birthdays were held there, as well as plenty of other occasions. Caramel had suggested it for Amber’s last night in Fillydelphia before her big trip, and Amber had been more than happy to agree.
“If it isn’t my favorite lovebirds. Welcome back.” Their server smiled at them and set their menus on the table as they sat down. “Are you two going to need a moment?”
They each opened their menus, but it was almost more of a formality; they had tried everything the fondue restaurant had to offer over the years. The beer-based spicy Appleloosa blend hadn’t been bad, but it disagreed with Caramel’s stomach. The home-grown Fillydelphia one was also okay, but Amber found it a bit boring. And they both agreed on the Yakyakistan mix – never again.
Caramel smiled. “No, I think we pretty much know what we want. Right, darling?”
Amber turned to their server, whose dark mane and coat always reminded her of somepony else. “Definitely.”
“Great, what’ll it be?”
“We’ll start with the Frozen North blend,” Caramel said. He personally preferred the wine-based Canterlot blend, but the Frozen North was Amber’s favorite. “And a bottle of champagne.”
“A bottle?” Amber asked, prying her eyes off the cute waitress to turn to her coltfriend. Most of the time they didn’t even order alcohol from Fromage, let alone a whole bottle. It was far too pricey, and really the fondue was more than good enough on its own.
“Why not?” Caramel shrugged. “We deserve a nice night out once in a while.”
Amber frowned. “But that’s gotta be, like, forty bits here.”
Caramel just chuckled. “Don’t worry about the money. I just want the night to be memorable.”
Spending as much money on a bottle of champagne as they were on the rest of their dinner was certainly sure to be memorable. “If you say so.”
Not that it was entirely out of character for him. Once in a while he seemed to decide he needed to perform some sort of romantic feat on an otherwise unremarkable date. She realized she should probably have seen it coming.
“You got it,” the waitress said. “I take it we’ll be doing a full course special tonight?”
“Yes. I’ll have the house salad.” Caramel turned to Amber. “And strawberry spinach for my lovely date.”
“You know me so well,” Amber said, which made him smile.
The waitress copied down their order. “Alright, and what about my personal favorite, the chocolate fondue? You should know we added a new white chocolate crème brûlée.”
“New menu item? I know somepony who couldn’t possibly say no to that.”
“In my defense, I don’t think anypony could say no to that,” Amber said.
Caramel chuckled. “It sounds delicious, we’ll try it.”
“Alright,” the waitress finished writing their order and put away her notepad. “I’ll be back before you know it with your first course.”
Amber leaned across the table as the waitress disappeared towards the kitchen. “So can we just, like, skip the first two courses?”
“Aww, so ready to get rid of me?” Caramel pouted playfully.
“Look, if I have to choose between you and white chocolate, well… we can still be friends.”
“Well, I suppose that is fair. I certainly can’t compete with something that sounds that good.”
“Not quite, but you do make a pretty good attempt.” Amber tapped on her chin. “You’ve gotta be, mmm… at least half as sweet.”
He smiled as he leaned across the table towards her. “Only half?”
“Fine. Two-thirds.”
“I guess I can live with that. I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Amber was just about to tactfully change the subject when he continued. “Do you know what I love the most about you?”
There was no way for this conversation to go anywhere that didn’t make her feel awkward. All she could hope for was that it wasn’t too late to maneuver the subject away from whatever sentimental thought had popped into his head. “The fact that you can brag that your marefriend’s met all five princesses?”
He pointedly ignored her comment. “You’re just so… you.”
Well, it had been worth a shot. “I should hope so. If I was anypony else that would be pretty weird.”
“See? That’s a perfect example of what I mean.” Oh sweet Celestia, he reached across the table for her hoof and everything. This was about to turn full sap mode, and all she could do was smile through it. “I’ve never met another mare like you. You’re so full of life, and you never worry about what other ponies think.”
Buck trying to change the subject amiably, she’d take an annoyed Caramel over a sappy one. “Yeah, who else would get us kicked out of all those fancy parties my parents tried dragging us to?”
He just chuckled, as if the memory was an all-around good time. “Well, telling the chairpony of the Virtuous Equestrian Society that you consider Fluttershy to be a good role model for foals wasn’t ever going to end well.”
“Princess Fluttershy is a role model for all ponies.”
“Not to mention correcting everypony on her proper title…”
“She married Princess Twilight, that makes her a princess. It’s not an opinion.”
“And going on about how much you support them dating another mare.”
“Sunset Shimmer is also an ideal role model, and the three of them are, like, the best part of the royal family.”
Caramel just smiled and held up a hoof. “Amber, I’m not arguing with you. I’m just saying that anypony who would bring all that up at a dinner hosted specifically to voice the opposing opinion is clearly somepony very special. I love how passionate you are, how much you care about things. And most of all, I love how you stay true to yourself, and never let anypony get in the way of being yourself.”
To be honest, Amber would have preferred it if they were arguing. At least then she could feel self-righteous instead of feeling like the worst, most selfish pony in all of Equestria. “Fine –” she smiled and rested her head on her hoof “– you’re just as sweet as the white chocolate.”
While Caramel laughed, the waitress returned with their opening course. She poured them each a glass of ice water, and set the pot of cheese in between them, as well as a plate of assorted food for dipping. They had choices ranging from a hearty country bread, soft pretzels, sweet apple slices, and a steamed vegetable medley with broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower.
“And of course…” She set down a bucket of ice and passed each of them a champagne flute. “Would you like it opened now?”
“Please,” Caramel said.
The waitress popped the cork and filled each of their glasses, then set the rest of the bottle in the bucket. “You two need anything else?”
“No, I think we’ll be okay,” Caramel said. Amber nodded her agreement.
“Alrighty, let me know if anything comes up, and I’ll be back in a bit with your salads.”
She scurried off again and they each began eating. Thankfully, the meal seemed to put a stop to their previous discussion.
While Amber took a sip of her champagne, a cheese-dipped apple slice appeared before her. She ate it and smiled at Caramel, who was holding it out for her. Apple slices were her favorite.
“You are, without a doubt, the most beautiful mare I’ve ever seen.”
Amber choked on her apple slice. Caramel looked like he was going to stand up, but she held a hoof to stop him then drank some of her water. Once she could breathe again, she laughed. “You must not have ever paid much attention to any other mares before.”
“I’m serious,” he said. “Name any mare you want, she’d never be able to hold a candle to you.”
Amber grinned. “Well, there’s our waitress for a start.”
He tapped on his chin, as if in consideration. “Mmm… Nope, I think I’ll have to disagree with you.”
She rolled her eyes. “What, you think I’m gonna get mad at you if you say another mare is attractive? She is.”
“She is,” he agreed, much to her surprise. “But nopony could possibly be as radiant as you.”
“Hmm…” Amber dipped some bread in the fondue and scrunched up her face in contemplation as she ate it. “You know, this fondue? Not the cheesiest thing at the table right now.”
“Okay, okay,” Caramel said as he dipped some broccoli for himself. “But it’s also kind of cute how you can’t seem to see it.”
Amber just smiled and shook her head, opting to not reply lest she get him going again. She took a sip of her champagne and wished there was more. The bottle only had enough for about two glasses each, and it was shaping up to be a long night. Then again, the last thing she needed was for Caramel to drink his way into more ‘heart to heart’ moments.
Before he could get the chance, Amber gave up subtlety and changed the subject blatantly. “So how was work?”
Once or twice she got the impression that they were headed for more sappy romance, but she was able to steer him away to safer topics. Eventually, the waitress came and replaced their fondue with salads. Amber kept glancing suspiciously at Caramel while eating hers.
“What’s on your mind?” he asked after a while.
“Oh, nothing.” She smiled innocently, but he didn’t seem to buy it.
“No, it’s something. Tell me.”
Amber chuckled and played with her salad fork. “It’s dumb.”
“Well I can’t let you go on thinking that. Now you have to tell me.”
“I was just expecting you to go off on some other sappy tangent.”
“Really?” Caramel arched an eyebrow. “Well, I wasn’t going to bring it up, but have I ever told you how much I love your eyes?”
Amber facehoofed. “Are you even serious right now?”
Caramel laughed and took a bite of his salad. “Well, I do really love your eyes, but mostly I’m just teasing you.”
Amber smiled and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I guess I pretty much invited that one.”
“I know you don’t like romantic gestures all that much, but thanks for putting up with it.”
“What? How can you say that and still sound sincere?” Amber dropped the pitch of her voice to try and match his. “Hey, babe, I’m sorry I’m like the most perfect stallion ever. Thanks for letting me be the biggest sweetheart you’ve ever met.”
“Oh come on, I don’t sound like that,” Caramel said. He was trying to keep a straight face, but it wasn’t working out well for him.
“Really though, any mare would be lucky to have you,” Amber said. She kept smiling, but went back to playing with her salad. “And yet here you are with me.”
He shrugged. “What can I say? I guess I’m a sucker for eccentricities.”
“Tch. If you think I’m eccentric, I know some ponies you’d just go crazy for.”
“Think I’m already crazy enough as is, thanks.” He watched her move her salad around absentmindedly. “Not hungry?”
“Huh?” She glanced up, realizing what she was doing. “Oh, I guess I’m just not really feeling the salad tonight.”
Caramel smiled knowingly. “Well, I know one thing you’ll be hungry for.” He looked around until he found their waitress. “Miss? Could we move on to the white chocolate crème brûlée?”
“Sure thing.” She gathered up the remainders of their salads.
“You’re not done with yours though,” Amber protested.
“It’s quite alright,” Caramel insisted. “I’m eager to try this, too.”
The waitress smiled. “Just you wait, it’s divine.” She finished collecting their dishes and disappeared once more.
“I try a lot more new things than I used to,” Caramel noted.
“Yeah, and I learned that maybe staying in one place long enough to have a favorite restaurant isn’t such a bad thing after all.”
Caramel finished off the last of his champagne and refilled their glasses. “You know, I’ve been thinking. Maybe we could take a trip sometime.”
“Where to?”
“Your choice. You’re the expert.”
“Wait, you mean like out of town trip?” In three years, Caramel had never shown much interest in travelling.
“Well why not? We could go somewhere, just the two of us. Or we could take Fox Glove, if your parents don’t mind. Wherever you want to go is fine by me.”
“That…” Really, it sounded great. She’d been dying for a chance to take Fox Glove to some of the places she’d been to. But the problem was that she knew ponies all over Equestria, and ponies that knew her were liable to say the wrong thing to her coltfriend. “It’s definitely something worth thinking about.”
Caramel nodded, and Amber sipped some of her champagne. Was there anywhere she could go where nopony would tell her current lover about her previous one? Maybe the Crystal Empire, if they could avoid the Crystal Palace. Bit of an important landmark though, and there were ponies who knew her at the palace, even if they managed to avoid Cadance.
“Too bad you’re not a pegasus,” Amber reflected. “I never got to go to Cloudsdale.”
“I know I said ‘wherever you want to go’, but I also don’t really feel like plummeting to my death.”
Amber laughed. “Yeah, that might set a negative tone for the rest of the trip.”
It was hard not to feel excited about the prospect, even if she knew it was likely to fall through. While she mulled over options that she might be able to make work, the waitress returned with their food.
The pot of white chocolate she set down was topped with caramelized sugar, and she left them with a plate of strawberries, blueberries, bananas, bite-sized pieces of cake, and pretzels for dipping. Amber opted for a pretzel to contrast the sweet and salty flavors.
“To new experiences,” Caramel said, holding up his dipped strawberry.
“To new experiences,” Amber echoed, tapping her pretzel against it. Her eyes went wide at the taste. “I think I’m in love.”
“I should hope so, it’s only been three – oh wow, that’s good.”
Amber couldn’t help but laugh at Caramel messing up his joke, and for at least one course they seemed to steer clear of any awkwardness. They both had to try everything, and both agreed they’d have to try it all again on the next trip.
“You were right,” Caramel told the waitress, “that was simply divine.”
She giggled. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourselves so much. Are you ready for the bill, then?”
“Yes, please.”
Across from him, Amber was resting her head against the table. She was completely stuffed, and she still kind of wanted more. “They need to regulate this stuff, because I’ll seriously eat my way into an early grave here.”
Caramel smiled and finished off his champagne. Amber had already emptied her own glass. She heard the waitress come back, but was too stuffed to pay any attention. “You know, the vacation isn’t the only thing I’ve been thinking of.”
Amber didn’t look up from her place of contentment. “Oh yeah? I certainly hope you’re also thinking of learning how to make that, because I’ll love you forever if you do.”
“Funny you should mention that, actually.”
Amber popped her head up. “Wait, was I right? You’re actually going to –”
The look he was giving her was enough to silence her. She could feel something coming, but she didn’t even want to think about what it might be.
“Amber Glow, you are the most amazing mare I’ve ever met.” Oh no. He used her full name. He wouldn’t…
“Ever since you came into my life, it’s been the craziest, most wonderful experience I can imagine.” Where did that box even come from? He was kneeling, dear sweet Celestia, why was he kneeling?
“I know that no other mare could make me as happy as you have. There’s no other mare I would ever want to be with.” He opened the box to reveal a necklace. “Amber Glow, will you marry me?”
“Will I…” Amber just stared, dumbstruck. Why was this happening to her? Where had this come from? “What?”
Caramel glanced around nervously, his confident smile faltering. “Uhm… will you marry me?”
“I, uh…” Amber also started looking around. She half expected somepony to tell her it was all a joke, but all she saw was eager faces from those who were listening in. She took a deep breath. “Caramel, I’m so so very sorry.”
“I… oh.” Caramel closed the box, and took a moment to pick himself up off the floor. “I just… I thought… Well, I guess I shouldn’t have done this in public after all.”
“Uh, well, I mean, it’s not a ‘no’, exactly.” Amber wasn’t sure why she was bothering. She shouldn’t get his hopes up. “I just… give me some time to think about it.”
“Right.” He nodded. “Time to think. That sounds fair.”
Nothing about it was fair. Not to her, and certainly not to him. But she couldn’t very well say that, so she said nothing.
“We should, uhm, we should get going.” Caramel left bits on the table, more than enough for their meal.
“Yeah, I guess so.” Amber stood up and sullenly followed him to the door.
The ride back to Amber’s house was the longest and quietest she could remember. Neither of them said a word the whole way there, and they didn’t even so much as look at each other.
When they got to Amber’s house, Caramel still hopped off the cart to help her down. She wasn’t sure if he was still avoiding looking at her or not, because as she took his hoof she hated herself far too much to look anywhere but the ground.
“Thank you for the evening,” Caramel said. Even now he sounded completely authentic as he spoke.
“Yeah, it was nice,” Amber said. Her voice sounded frail and thin. “I’ll, uh, I’ll see you in a week, then?”
“Of course.” He climbed back into the carriage and she chanced a look at him. “I love you, Amber.”
She opened her mouth to reply, but the words caught in her throat. How could she possibly say something like that to him? He loved her, legitimately loved her and did so much to make her happy, and she’d just strung him along for three years so that nopony would suspect that she was gay.
She watched as the cart pulled away, and couldn’t bring herself to say one word of comfort.