Page 106 of The Last Good Man

This is so unusual.

Smokersnever leavetheir lighters behind.They’re in a relationship with them, not tosaythat sometimes, these pieces are collectibles. This one, in particular, is a beautiful silver lighter with his initials engraved.

JL.

I run my fingertips over the letters as if touching his face, lips, or chest.

As if wanting them to be engraved on my skin.

My first thought is that he has left it here on purpose.

I suspected that even the first time when he had forgotten it with his cigarettes.

It’s a cheap trick everyone knows.

Leaving something behind gives youa reason to talk to that person again.

But then the blanket comes to mind, and a different scenario playsin my head.

What if something had bothered him so much that he ditched the blanket and left without a word?

Then he realized he didn’t have the lighter.

If I know anything about smokers, he must’ve wanted to light a cigarette when he stepped outside.He knew he left it in the roomandchosenot to come back.

A shiver goes through me as I realize how plausible this is.

Something had annoyed him.

The blanket?

It could be.

My mixed messages?

For sure.

It would’ve driven me crazy too.

But these things are never clear.

I give up on finding an answer and move back to the bed.

Sitting on my butt, I drag my gaze over the omelet, flowers, pastries, freshly squeezed juice,andcoffeeand try to imagine how the newlyweds would feel after spending their wedding night here.

It would be like nothing that I feel right now as I eat alone, trying to forget the man I spent my night with.

19

MELODY

Tuesday

Work feels odd today.

Yesterday, it felt the same.

It was a busier-than-usual Monday, and I diligently sailed through it by skipping lunch and my Pilates class before going home and hitting the bed at nine.

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