“Nessie…” he said, wrapping his arms around me. My whole body went stiff.
“Why didn’t you come the day of my surgery? Where have you been?” he asked, rubbing his face into my hair like a puppy desperate for comfort.
I forced myself to hold it together. “I was working. Couldn’t get away.”
“Where’s our photo?” He pulled back, scanning the now bare wall.
“I took it down,” I said, looking straight into his eyes. “Landlord doesn’t allow stuff on the walls.”
He let it go and fished something out of his pocket, two cruise tickets. “I planned a surprise for your birthday,” he said. “A coworker gave me these. Let’s go together.”
I bit my lip so hard it hurt. My chest ached like it was being crushed. After a long pause, I managed to squeeze out a quiet “okay.”
As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, I collapsed onto the couch. My hand brushed against something cold—his phone, forgotten on the cushions.
The screen lit up. My heart dropped.
Pinned at the top of his chats:
[Gina: Make sure the video’s edited well—play it on the big deck screen during the birthday.]
[Ali: Get some close-ups of her losing it. Big, dramatic breakdown shots.]
[Cyrus: Jimmy, why so quiet? Don’t tell me you’re catching feelings?]
No passcode. My hands trembled as I opened the gallery and found the video. I deleted every last copy.
Just then, I heard his footsteps coming back down the hall. I shot up and ran to the kitchen.
“Nessie, I think I left my phone…” he called out.
I took a deep breath, steadying myself.
“Did you?” I said calmly—so calm, it surprised even me. “Then you’d better find it.”
“I found it!” Jimmy waved his phone as he walked to the kitchen door. All of the sudden, he furrowed his brow. “Why do you look so pale?”
“Probably lack of sleep lately,” I turned away, “You know, you should get going to your job. Don’t be late.”
After I heard the door close, tears began to fall.
***
The next day, I went to resign my job at the bar. My boss asked me to work one last shift. However, the moment I opened the door to a VIP room, my steps froze.
Gina was sitting right in the center of the sofa, wearing the latest Chanel outfit. She was back. A group of people surrounded her, including the blond man I had seen in the hospital room that day.