Page 158 of A Matter of Time

“Yeah, that’s right.”

We were talking in circles. I thought he was wrong, he thought I was wrong. There was no middle ground, no understanding we were going to reach.

“Are you going to tell Dom about me, Sam?”

“You said you’d wait for me to⁠—”

“C’mon, be honest. You can’t and you know it. Your life doesn’t work with a partner, it only works with a wife. Why fight it?” I waited only seconds for a response. “Your folks are gonna love Maggie.”

“You know, Jory, it’s funny that you think you of all people can know what’s good for me. You can’t even take care of yourself, but you think you know what’s best for me.”

“Deny any of it.”

“I think maybe it’s a good thing that you go. You obviously know nothing about sticking it out through hard times. You run at the first sign of trouble. You’re a quitter, and you should know that about yourself.”

“Only if there really is no way to win,” I said, my heart breaking along with my voice. “You can’t fool yourself into thinking things are gonna work out when the facts are right there in front of you.”

“You’re really stupid.”

“Okay.”

“It’s gonna be done this time, you know? I can’t keep running after you.”

“Sure,” I said as my eyes filled. “I know.”

“Do you even care?”

I cared more than I could even express. I had never ever been crazier about anyone. Sam Kage was the man of my dreams; it was too bad that being with him always turned into a nightmare.

“Have a good life,” he said, and hung up.

I fell sideways onto the couch. I would mourn him and our affair over breakfast. I was just too tired at that moment. I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I didn’t remember falling asleep.

EIGHTEEN

2000

Ihit the button to speak, but before I could even say who I was, the buzzer on the door went off and I went through it to the lobby.

“Jory!” she squealed loudly.

I looked up, and there, four flights up on the landing, leaning over the railing, was my friend and work partner, Dylan Greer, waving at me like crazy.

“Hurry up. I want you to meet everybody!”

I climbed the stairs as fast as I could, unwrapping my scarf as I moved. When I hit her floor, she ran from her door to reach me, and I caught her when she leaped at me and carried her to her door, her arms and legs wrapped around me.

“You came.” She smiled into my eyes, smoothing her fingers over my eyebrows.

“I would never disappoint you.”

“I know.” She sighed as I carried her through the open door, depositing her in the hallway of her apartment. “But I’ve invited you a million times before.”

“And this time I could actually make it, and I promised I would,” I said as she closed the front door behind me.

She nodded. “Gimme your coat. What do you want to drink?”

“What’ve you got?” I asked as I passed her first my coat and then the wine I’d brought with me.