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My phone rang and Sarah’s smiling photo appeared on the screen. I couldn’t help but smile back at it. “Hello?”
“He texted me, the jerk. He said he was sorry but that this was a mistake. Nik, I could kill him for hurting you.”
“Don’t be upset, Sarah.” There was no point in both of us being angry. “And I’m not hurt. My ego is just bruised, that’s all. I’m already over it,” I lied. My chest still felt heavy. Maybe I was embarrassed? I wasn’t sure, but it was too soon to shake it.
“I thought you two would be perfect for each other. You’re both driven and have the same sense of humor…”
Sarah comparing me to the thoughtless man was a little insulting, so I cut her off. “Look, I knew this wasn’t anything serious. My heart isn’t broken, Sarah. I’m fine.”
“He’s just…well, ever since he came back from his peacekeeping tour, he hasn’t…well, he hasn’t been very communicative.”
I nodded in understanding. Not that I’d ever served in the military before, but I could understand that maybe his time overseas had affected him. But why agree to the blind date in the first place? And why drive away after having only laid eyes on me for a couple of seconds, without even a ‘Well it was nice meeting you but have a nice life’? While my heart wanted to soften towards him, my head said he could have handled it better.
“Let’s just forget about it.”
Sarah hesitated. I could tell she didn’t want to let this go, but I was done, and talking about it further would only make me feel worse. “Do you want to catch a movie tomorrow night?” I asked.
“Sure.” There was an awkward pause. “Maybe I’ll see if my brother is free…”
I groaned. “Sarah.”
“All right, all right. I’ll let it go. Let’s go for drinks afterward. There’s a cute bar that opened last week. We should check out.”
“That sounds perfect,” I said, and meant it. “Talk to you tomorrow. Good night.”
“Good night, Nik.”
I ended the call, threw my phone on the couch, and my aching body next to it. I wiggled my toes and stared up at the ceiling. Moving to New York hadn’t been what I imagined it would be. I had pictured excitement, a frenzied hustle and bustle. But so far, it had just been work and home. Day after day.
My phone vibrated next to me. I found it between the couch cushions and checked the message.
Nikole, this is your mother. Please call me back. I’ve left you numerous voice messages. Stop being childish and call your mother back.
I closed my eyes and tossed the phone onto the couch again. Something I had predicted about moving to New York had panned out. I just wished I had been wrong about that one.
2
Jake
There wasn’t any air in my truck’s cab. I tried to inhale, but my dry throat clenched and I coughed instead. My knuckles were white from my grip on the steering wheel and blue spots danced in front of my eyes. I would have to pull over soon if I couldn’t pull myself together.
I turned onto the road, leaving the parking lot, and it felt as though someone had unplugged a sink. My throat opened up and air rushed into my lungs.
I heaved in two large gulps until my chest hurt from expanding. Only then did I allow myself to think.
What the hell just happened?
I wasn’t exactly excited about the blind date Sarah had set up, but she seemed intent on making it happen, so I thought it easier to go through with it. I didn’t feel nervous or annoyed as I drove to the donut shop. I felt nothing at all. Just numb.
Then I saw her standing there in a long, gray wool coat. One hand gripped her collar while the other clutched her phone. There wasn’t anything about her stance or her features that made me panic. But something in her eyes, when they locked on mine, made alarm bells go off in my head. There was trust, innocence, and hope. All the things I’d lost long ago. That look terrified me. The expectation behind it made me panic, so I ran. I just kept driving.
I didn’t go home. Undoubtedly, my sister would show up on my doorstep in less than an hour, and I had no explanation for her or me. I don’t know why I reacted that way.
Well, maybe that was a lie. But it couldn’t be because of Janine. That was more than three years ago. I was over her betrayal.
My fingers clenched again, and so did my jaw. This time, I did feel something. Anger.
Well, if I wasn’t over it, then it was best that I left the poor woman standing there. It was a shitty thing to do, but maybe the lesser of two evils. She didn’t need to deal with my issues.
