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He let me go, and I collapsed into my hands, my neck burning from humiliation.
“Natalie,” Jessica muttered, approaching me with a wad of paper towels. “Don’t. Let me clear this off the table.”
“No!Just leave it! Leave it! It’s fine the way it is!”
Jessica stopped with the balled up towels in her hand, looking frightened. “Okay.”
“I knew you shouldn’t have left her alone,” Luke said in a sharp voice.
They argued, but I didn’t listen to it. “Guys, please drop it."
“Is this about Will?” Jessica asked in a soft voice.
Just the mention of his name made my throat tighten. “He's a jerk."
Luke stood up with balled fists at his sides. “I’m going to have a word with him!”
“Please don't. I just want to forget about him.”
Jessica’s hand soothed my back. “I’m sorry for leaving you here, I didn’t know what to do.”
His hand tightened over his smartphone. He looked like he was dying to call his cousin. I knew that he would the moment he left my apartment and there was nothing I could say to stop it.
“Goddamn it. I knew this would happen. I knew it!”
Jessica and I stared at him. Luke rarely swore.
He must be really upset.
“Natalie, I hate to do this but we have a flight to Chicago. We’re spending Thanksgiving with his uncle.”
My eyes widened. “Didn’t you sue him?” I asked Luke.
He smiled. “Yeah, but he said he wants us to be a family again. I don’t know, maybe we should cancel it.”
“No,” I said in a firm voice. “I’m happy for you. Just g—go.” I tried not to wonder whether Will would be there, too.
Jessica leaned over me, in tears, and squeezed my head off. “I promise I’ll make this up to you when we get back.”
I gave her a watery smile. “Don’t worry about me,” I said over and over.
And then they were gone, and I had nothing to distract me from my gloom.
* * *
The day before Thanksgiving, I turned my phone on. I erased every message Will sent me. I was done being put through the mill by assholes. As soon as I recognized his voice, I deleted it. One from his father made me pause.
“Ms. Porter, I’m calling because my wife and I wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done to help William and our family. The visit was quite a success and all of us can breathe easier. Please know that you’ll always be welcome at our home. Thank you so much.”
Yeah, you’re welcome. Whatever.
The next few messages were from Luke and Jessica, wondering if I wanted to go out with them, thanking me for what I had done, and the last dozen were a cringe-inducing series of messages from my mother.
I can’t ignore them forever.
There was no energy left in me for a conversation with them. I didn’t want to hear their disappointment on top of everything else.
The next morning, I woke up with a happy phone call from Jessica in Chicago, wishing me a happy Thanksgiving.
