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“I know,” I said through a stretch as I worked my way out of bed. “Thank you for coming. It’s always better when you’re here.”
“I miss you too.” She smiled and hauled her bag over her shoulder before disappearing through my door. “Call you when I get home. Go back to sleep.”
Falling back into my bed, I did as she asked, still somewhat surprised by how calm I was about this. Of course I didn’t like the idea of Nick with Carla, of all people, but I couldn’t bring myself to give it any real weight. Even after our time apart, I still felt confident that I knew Nick’s heart better than most people did.
It was the only way I could process this crazy information without going crazy myself.
Time continued to fly by. I was acing my classes and still picking up extra hours at the station. I’d even gotten an internship at a local news channel. I had been up against a lot of other applicants, but somehow I had gotten the job.
Things felt like they were falling into place easily, and I wondered if that’s how things happened when they were meant to be. It made me question everything else that had been such a colossal struggle in my life. Maybe when you were on the right path, things simply worked out without the fight.
My phone vibrated where it lay on my mattre
ss, and I reached for it before casting a casual glance at the screen.
Nick. Holy shit. How long has it been since we last talked?
Chills raced down my spine. Nick didn’t call for no reason. Hell, Nick didn’t call anymore at all. It had been three months since our last conversation. Three months since he told me to start packing. Three months since I’d heard his voice. Almost seven months since I’d seen his face.
Seven months without Nick . . .
If you would have asked me a year ago, I would have insisted that I’d never last that long without him. Funny the things your heart is capable of handling without your knowledge. We are so much stronger than we realize.
“Hey.” I tried to sound nonchalant as I answered, pretending that hearing from him wasn’t sending me into an emotional tailspin. I thought about him and Carla, and suddenly wanted to throw up. That was a first.
“Jess,” he said, his voice thick, deep, and instantly recognizable.
“Nick. How are you?”
“Good, I’m good. How are you?” The fact that he sounded calm—too calm, too relaxed—rattled my every last nerve.
“Good. Just doing some required reading.” I closed my textbook and set it aside.
He paused, sucking in a breath before he spoke. “I need to tell you something.”
“What is it?” I pushed myself up until I was sitting straight up, preparing myself, but for what?
“Well, first off, I’m dating someone,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper, and I knew there was more to this phone call than that tidbit of information I already knew.
“So? Why would you call me to tell me you’re dating someone? Good for you, Nick. I’m dating someone too,” I lied. “So what?” Anger swirled in my gut, mixing with regret, fear, and sadness. In that order.
“We’re getting married.”
What?
If I had ever thought that my world had crashed around me before, I had been wrong. Dead wrong. Because in that moment, the sun dropped from the sky and fell into the sea, leaving the world shrouded in the darkest shade of black.
“You’re getting married? Are you kidding?” I prayed quickly to God that this was all a joke. I even looked at the calendar on my wall to make sure it wasn’t April first. This couldn’t be real.
“I wanted to be the one to tell you. It would kill me if you heard from someone else,” he said, as if that somehow made this all okay.
“How noble of you. So, who is it? Who the hell are you marrying, Nick?” I tried to sound like I didn’t care, but the shakiness in my voice gave me away. Not to mention the anger.
He stayed quiet for a heartbeat. Then two. I wasn’t sure he’d ever speak when he sucked in a breath and said, “Carla,” his words like knives.
Thud.
“Carla?”
