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Alex, you’ve always known what to get me, but this left me speechless. It’s Michael’s copy, isn’t it? I spent so many hours with my nose stuck in its pages, your dad always joked that I should have it. He gave it to you, to give to me, but I can’t keep it, not now. Please make sure Michael gets it back and tell him I’m sorry for the pain I’ve caused your family.
You must wish we never met. I deserve your disappointment, your disgust in me. It mirrors mine. Love always, Mark x
She stared at the paper, hovering over the last line: no good-bye. Mark knew. He knew how much they both hated saying that word.
She looked back inside the envelope and gasped what felt like her last breath. Her hand slipped inside the bubble wrap sleeve, her fingers meeting cold, jagged metal—surrendered, never to be held in Mark’s hand again.
A sob let go in her throat, releasing wave after wave of tears.
The final thread connecting her to Mark had been severed. Mark Keegan, loving boyfriend, was now Mark Keegan, the next big thing. All news of him would be gleaned from Google or maybe a slip of Freddie’s lips. No more kisses. No more rapturous reunions or easy smiles. The next time she’d see his face would probably be through a TV or cinema screen—you can look, but you can never touch. He would land bigger roles, collect even more enthusiastic fans—and probably have a new A-list girlfriend. He was no longer hers.
It wasn’t supposed to end this way. It wasn’t supposed to end at all.
She swallowed, digging out Mark’s keys. The landlord would be happy…at least someone would.
One key. Two keys. They were Mark’s unspoken, unwritten good-bye. Her whole body ached.
She reached in again, but her hand came back empty.
Mark was always careless, losing things; his silver keychain that matched the one in her hand wasn’t there.
“I guess it’s official then…” Alex gulped for air, sinking into Lucy. She released her grip on the beloved object. “I’m one of those people, left behind, forgotten.”
Through a veil of tears, her eyes settled on her palm: the June 5, 2015 indentation from the keychain was fading fast from her skin.
