Kaia: I’m sorry
What the hell is she apologising for?
Tolu: Miss you, it’s weird here without you
From yesterday:
Noor: Hey… Been a crazy week here
Noor: Have you heard Silas was fired? He left us that night and ran after you, he was going to make sure you got back safe. I thought he was being nice.
Noor: They say he was the one who took the photos!! Last to enter the building after you. Apparently legal team is all over it
Kaia: I’m sorry I didn’t stop him. The others didn’t know what he did to you before. I wasn’t aware of what was going on around me.
Kaia: I should’ve paid more attention, I knew he was obsessed with you
Silas took the photos? What the fuck? I’d be angrier if I had any energy left in me to feel at all.
From this morning:
Kaia: The world is grey without you, Rey, please promise you’ll stay in our lives
Noor: Come live with us!
Kaia: You can take Tolu’s room (for free), they stay in Noor’s all the time anyway
I read the last ones out loud and chuckle. “That’s nice, isn’t it, Beanie?”
Boof.
Maybe it would be good with a change of scenery. I believe they live in colourful Camden. Although they still work at Infinio. Is it too close to Mark?
Nia has messaged asking how I am. Kirsten has messaged asking if we can still be friends, which is a huge relief. Even some of my old friends have reached out, but I’m too embarrassed to open those. I can only imagine what they think of me, and I don’t want it confirmed.
I sigh. A long, loud sigh into the warm summer air.
How the fuck am I supposed to get back on top? Well, I was never really on top, but how in the bloody hell am I going to get out of this hole?
Beanie leads me to the edge of the park, and I smell the scent of freshly ground coffee.
“Bean, let’s go to the cafe,” I say, as if he knows. “Life sucks, but at least I can have cake.”
Standing in the queue, waiting for them to make everyone’s coffees, I see the handwritten posters.
Baristas needed. Training provided.
“That must be a sign, Beanie, don’t you think?” I whisper to him, and he opens his mouth in what I like to think is a smile and hangs his tongue out. “That’s right. Let’s do this, Bean. One step at a time.”
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
team rey
MARK
I trace the rim of my whiskey glass, ignoring the clock ticking above my head telling me it’s nearly 10pm and I should go home. Although I don’t want to. It’s too empty. Too quiet. Everything is empty without Rey.
Leaning back in my office chair, I might end up falling asleep here again; I’m so drained. Since the board meeting almost two weeks ago, I’ve worked every waking hour, and it’s the first time in my life it has just felt like work. Not a passion, not career-building. Just plainwork.
