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Some things are better left unsaid. Which I generally realize right after I’ve said them. –Liz
“Hey, Calvin. Where’s Aiden?” I ask, after letting myself into Aiden’s apartment. It’s not a shock to find Calvin sitting at the kitchen table, but usually, Aiden is close by.
“He ran Edna uptown.”
“Oh. I didn’t know she had plans today.”
Slowly, Calvin lifts his head. The expression on his face is unreadable and has me moving across the room. “Calvin, are you okay?”
“I don’t know. It depends.” He pushes his fingers through his hair, the same way Aiden does.
“On what? You’re scaring me.”
He lifts his hand, waving around a set of papers. “On whether or not my brother is leaving.”
“Leaving? What are you talking about?”
“I mean, I’m not mad. I’m happy for him. Of course, I’m happy for him, but I don’t want the fucker to leave.”
I shake my head, frustrated and unsure of what he’s rambling on about. “I don’t understand.”
“He’s moving.”
“What? Where?”
“According to this,” he says, reading the paper, “he’s moving to San Francisco. And soon. He’s already got a place to live lined up and everything. It looks like our boy got a promotion.”
“A what?”
This doesn’t make sense. I grab the papers from Calvin and read through them.
“Shit.” Calvin laughs and walks across the room. “I don’t know whether to be proud of the little shit or pissed that he’s leaving.”
My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth as I scan the papers. My stomach rolls into a tight knot. I’m going to be sick. I can’t believe he’d do this. I can’t believe he’d make such a huge, important life decision without talking to me first. I know we haven’t been together long, but after the last few weeks—after the professions of love, and the things we’ve said to each other—I can’t believe he wouldn’t give me the courtesy of talking to me about it first.
Dread mixed with uncertainty pumps through my veins like venom. He loves me, but not enough to stay, and certainly not enough to ask me to go with him.
“When do you guys leave?”
I look at Calvin. “I knew nothing about this.”
His eyes widen. “Wait… so you’re not going with him?”
“I knew nothing about this,” I yell, causing Calvin to take a step back. “I’m sorry, I’m just—”
“What’s going on in here?” Aiden says, sauntering through the front door. He’s wearing an easy smile as he drops his keys onto the table. “I could hear you two out in the hallway. Is everything okay?”
“No, it’s not okay.” I shove the papers into his chest and step back. “When were you going to tell me that you’re leaving?”
Aiden lets the papers scatter to the floor. “Lizzie, I’m—”
“Please tell me that you were going to at least tell me before the big move, which is…” I scoop the flight itinerary off the floor and look at it before tossing it back down. “Next Friday? I can’t believe this. How long have you known about this, Aiden?”
Aiden frowns. “Since before Cal and Millie’s wedding, but—”
“No. There are no buts. That was weeks ago, Aiden. I shouldn’t just now be finding out about it, and I sure as hell shouldn’t be finding out about it by accident. When were you going to tell me?”
“Soon.” Aiden stalks forward and puts his hands on my shoulders. “Lizzie you’re jumping to conclusions, I have—”
