But that would never happen.
My phone rang on my nightstand, and I immediately snatched it because I knew it was important. Nobody would call me at this hour unless they had something valuable to impart to me. I didn’t even check the screen before I answered. “This is Crewe.”
“It’s Dunbar,” he responded. “I just wanted to let you know she left Scotland. Her plane took off a few hours ago.”
I’d asked him to notify me if her situation ever changed. She said she was leaving in a week, but she obviously cut the trip short—because she gave up on me. I listened to the rain as I stayed on the phone, unsure how to respond. “Thanks for letting me know.”
“Good night, sir.” He hung up.
I kept the phone to my ear even though he was gone. I listened to the line go dead before I tossed the phone back onto the nightstand. My eyes immediately returned to the window, where the water stuck to the glass then dripped down.
She really left.
It was over.
I’d never have to hear from her again.
I could go back to my life.
It should come as a relief, like a toxin had been removed from my bloodstream. But instead of feeling joyful, I felt something else entirely.
Pain.
6
London
Joseph called me. “How’s it going?”
“Good.” I tucked the phone between my ear and shoulder as I carried the grocery bags to the counter. I left the front door wide open because I didn’t have enough hands. “I just picked up a few things to make dinner.”
“Ooh…like what?”
“Nothing fancy. Grilled cheese and rice pilaf.”
“Uh…those don’t go together.”
“Then you obviously haven’t tried it. It’s delicious.” I walked back to the living room and shut the door. “Where are you now?”
“I shouldn’t say things like that over the phone. But I can tell you I’m in Europe.”
“There’re fifty countries in Europe…that doesn’t narrow it down.”
“That’s the point,” he said with a chuckle. “So you’ve settled in?”
“Yeah. I’m working at the hospital again. I’m part time right now, but one woman is going on maternity leave, so I’m gonna take her position while she’s gone. I’m sure it’ll lead to full-time work eventually.”
“Yeah, probably. You need anything? Money?”
Like he hadn’t given me enough already. “I have plenty. Don’t worry about me.”
“You know I’ll always worry about you.”
“Well, don’t.”
He chuckled again. “So…are you doing alright?” He didn’t ask about Crewe specifically, but that’s who he was referring to.
“I’m fine.” Once Crewe said those words to me, I let him go. I’d never forget what we had and how I felt about him, but I needed to move on. I shouldn’t have to fight that hard to be with someone who wasn’t so innocent. He made mistakes too—plenty. But putting all the blame on me was ridiculous. It didn’t matter how much I loved him. I wasn’t putting up with that shit. “I have a date tonight, actually.”
“Already?” he asked in surprise. “Where did you meet this guy? Please don’t tell me you’re using Tinder. That’s how people get chopped up.”
“I met him at the grocery store just now. We both reached for the last bag of bread, and one thing led to another…”
“So you don’t know anything about him?”
“Other than the fact that he’s cute and eats bread, not really.”
Joseph laughed. “I guess that’s all that matters, right? Well, I’m glad you’re moving on.”
“Yeah. Crewe is too stubborn. I’m not wasting any more time with him.”
“Works for me. Never liked the asshole anyway.”
This time I didn’t defend Crewe. “I feel like we’re always talking about me. What’s new with you?”
“Not much. Just work.”
Work that I didn’t want to know anything about. “Do you have a woman in your life?”
“A few. Nothing serious.”
I could tell by his tone that topic wasn’t up for discussion. “Well, I’ll let you go. I’ve gotta get ready for my date.”
“Wait, you said you were making grilled cheese and rice for dinner. So are you meeting him after that?”
“I was planning on eating that after the date.” After we rolled around in my bed for an hour. The guy was hot, and I needed to get laid. It’d been nearly six weeks, and Crewe already had lovers in his bed. Plus, he was never coming back.
Joseph didn’t pry anymore, probably assuming the worst. “Talk to you later.”
“Bye.”
I met Roy at a sandwich place a few blocks from my house. I picked the place because it was cheap and laid-back. I didn’t like fancy dinners that required an expensive outfit and several courses.
Sandwiches were fine with me.
Roy was cute. I could tell he worked out because he had a nice body. He was a firefighter, which was an extra plus. He was easy to talk to and sweet. In fact, he was too good to be true. It made alarms go off in my head. “Can I ask you something?”