Elizabeth, his face had lit up like a fucking Christmas tree while her face had dropped and then scowled. She hadn’t been happy to see Ben, I sensed that immediately.
“What the hell are you talking about?” He looked up at me, his jaw already bruising.
“Elizabeth,” I simply said her name—one word, one perfect word.
“Oh Christ, Daniel, that was eight years ago. Apparently, she completely got over that. She seems fine. She’s with you, isn’t she?” He waved his arm toward where Elizabeth had once stood.
“No, she’s clearly not with me, and she’s not fine. What did you say to her?”
“I told her that you were dating my sister. I didn’t know any different. I warned her to stay away from you.” He lowered his head and looked at his feet.
“You what? Motherfucker.” I pushed off from the wall and started pacing. “What did you show her on your phone?”
He made a face like he couldn’t remember, and I grabbed him by the collar.
“What did you show her?”
“A picture of you and Kate. Kate sent it to me yesterday after I texted and asked how she was. She said that you two were hanging out, having a great day, and then she sent me the photo.”
“Yesterday? I haven’t seen her in days. Show me.”
I had no idea what kind of game Kate was playing, but she was fucking with my life, and I wouldn’t have it. I watched as Ben pulled up the text from her, and I saw the picture of Kate and me, smiling. It was the day I’d ended things with her. She’d asked if we could take one last selfie together. I’d warned her that I didn’t think it was a good idea, but she’d insisted, and I couldn’t tell her no after her meltdown. My guilt was already eating me up inside. I’d figured there was no harm in one last photo with her ?
“I should hit you again for not minding your own business.”
He raised his hands in surrender. “Sorry. I didn’t know. I honestly didn’t know. Kate’s been lying to us all for years when it came to the two of you.” He grabbed his head as if trying to process it all. “But it all makes sense, like why you didn’t do any holidays with the family. She always made up excuses for you, but now, I get it.”
“Holidays were not a part of the arrangement. That would only confuse things, and I didn’t want there to be any confusion. I wanted to avoid this exact scenario,” I confessed.
“I really screwed things up for you with Elizabeth, huh? Do you want me to call her and apologize?”
“I’m a grown man. I can handle my own shit with Elizabeth. Why don’t you go visit your little sister and make sure she’s okay since she’s obviously not?”
It wasn’t really a request to be honest. My tone demanded that he stay the hell away from Elizabeth and go where he was wanted. Which wasn’t anywhere near my girl.
He stood there, shaking his head like a lost dog. “You’re right. I should go talk to Kate. Sorry again, man.”
****
I dialed Elizabeth’s cell phone three times, but she sent me to voice mail before the third ring. Calling my driver, I had him take me to her apartment before I headed to the airport. Scanning the list posted next to the front of the door, I found her last name and pressed the small button next to it. The speaker beeped an unholy sound before crackling, and my heart actually fucking leaped into my throat at the idea of her voice coming through the speaker.
Only, it didn’t.
The speaker sounded again before clicking, a dial tone replacing the otherwise silent air around me. She had hung up on me before even giving me a chance to speak.
So fucking stubborn.
There had to be something I could do. I stood there, racking my brain, as an older woman exited the building with her tiny dog in tow. She smiled at me, and I grinned back.
“Stuck outside, dear?” she asked.
“My girlfriend is pissed at me and won’t let me in. I left my keys upstairs,” I half-lied.
She giggled and eyed the single white rose in my
“What the hell are you talking about?” He looked up at me, his jaw already bruising.
“Elizabeth,” I simply said her name—one word, one perfect word.
“Oh Christ, Daniel, that was eight years ago. Apparently, she completely got over that. She seems fine. She’s with you, isn’t she?” He waved his arm toward where Elizabeth had once stood.
“No, she’s clearly not with me, and she’s not fine. What did you say to her?”
“I told her that you were dating my sister. I didn’t know any different. I warned her to stay away from you.” He lowered his head and looked at his feet.
“You what? Motherfucker.” I pushed off from the wall and started pacing. “What did you show her on your phone?”
He made a face like he couldn’t remember, and I grabbed him by the collar.
“What did you show her?”
“A picture of you and Kate. Kate sent it to me yesterday after I texted and asked how she was. She said that you two were hanging out, having a great day, and then she sent me the photo.”
“Yesterday? I haven’t seen her in days. Show me.”
I had no idea what kind of game Kate was playing, but she was fucking with my life, and I wouldn’t have it. I watched as Ben pulled up the text from her, and I saw the picture of Kate and me, smiling. It was the day I’d ended things with her. She’d asked if we could take one last selfie together. I’d warned her that I didn’t think it was a good idea, but she’d insisted, and I couldn’t tell her no after her meltdown. My guilt was already eating me up inside. I’d figured there was no harm in one last photo with her ?
“I should hit you again for not minding your own business.”
He raised his hands in surrender. “Sorry. I didn’t know. I honestly didn’t know. Kate’s been lying to us all for years when it came to the two of you.” He grabbed his head as if trying to process it all. “But it all makes sense, like why you didn’t do any holidays with the family. She always made up excuses for you, but now, I get it.”
“Holidays were not a part of the arrangement. That would only confuse things, and I didn’t want there to be any confusion. I wanted to avoid this exact scenario,” I confessed.
“I really screwed things up for you with Elizabeth, huh? Do you want me to call her and apologize?”
“I’m a grown man. I can handle my own shit with Elizabeth. Why don’t you go visit your little sister and make sure she’s okay since she’s obviously not?”
It wasn’t really a request to be honest. My tone demanded that he stay the hell away from Elizabeth and go where he was wanted. Which wasn’t anywhere near my girl.
He stood there, shaking his head like a lost dog. “You’re right. I should go talk to Kate. Sorry again, man.”
****
I dialed Elizabeth’s cell phone three times, but she sent me to voice mail before the third ring. Calling my driver, I had him take me to her apartment before I headed to the airport. Scanning the list posted next to the front of the door, I found her last name and pressed the small button next to it. The speaker beeped an unholy sound before crackling, and my heart actually fucking leaped into my throat at the idea of her voice coming through the speaker.
Only, it didn’t.
The speaker sounded again before clicking, a dial tone replacing the otherwise silent air around me. She had hung up on me before even giving me a chance to speak.
So fucking stubborn.
There had to be something I could do. I stood there, racking my brain, as an older woman exited the building with her tiny dog in tow. She smiled at me, and I grinned back.
“Stuck outside, dear?” she asked.
“My girlfriend is pissed at me and won’t let me in. I left my keys upstairs,” I half-lied.
She giggled and eyed the single white rose in my
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