A man believes his partner is sulking after a canceled ticket, but she is actually walking away from the relationship for good. As he pieces together the truth behind her quiet departure, he is forced to confront the mistake that pushed her out the door.
A few months ago, Brandon hired a new intern. Over the months Lily worked under him, they grew a little too close. Brandon's phone wallpaper used to be a photo of us in Cabo. I couldn't say when he changed it.
One day, I looked over and saw a group photo from our company retreat instead. I never asked why he changed it. He never explained, either. Because of Lily, Brandon and I had argued.
We had broken up every time we split. I would suffer from sleepless nights, relying on alcohol just to pass out. Until last month. I was working late until 11.
As I walked into my apartment complex, I noticed footsteps trailing behind me. I walked faster. The footsteps sped up too. In a panic, I dialed Brandon. Once, twice, thirteen times. He didn't pick up.
Panicked, I missed a step on the curb and twisted my ankle hard, crashing onto the My phone screen cracked, but the call interface was still active. My trembling fingers blindly hit a key and dialed a number. It barely rang twice before it connected.
The background was quiet, followed by the rustle of someone abruptly standing up. Elena, listen to me. Don't hang up. Keep talking and tell me exactly where you are. I choked out the address. He replied with two words. Ten minutes.
Nine minutes later, he was kneeling in front of me. Sweet matted the hair at his temples. He knelt down, gently cradling my swollen ankle in both hands. His thumb pressed down lightly.