Page 80 of From You to Me

The sharp crack of it mixed with our ragged breathing in the empty hallway.

“Fuck you,” I cried out.

A slow hand rubbed his face while his jaw clenched. “I think the truth is pretty obvious, Evelyn. I can’t believe I gave you the benefit of the doubt, but then you know very well how to play with me, don’t you?”

I shook my head, tears streaming through my blurred vision. “Jay, please listen to me. I didn’t lie.”

He held up a hand. “I won’t let you make a fool out of me the third time, Evelyn.” His dead gaze fixed on me; it was almost like he’d lost all the emotion in them. “This time, we’re done, Evelyn. For good. I don’t ever wish to see your face again. Goodbye.”

And with that, he stormed down the hallway without looking back.

A sob escaped my lips as I crashed to the ground, watching his back disappear.

The same cloud of moroseness that I felt all those years ago sat heavy on top of my head.

It was the same words that he’d said all those years ago.I don’t ever wish to see your face again.

Somehow, with the truth out, it fell like the culmination.

CHAPTER 18

“Evy, please don’t feed my son all these unhealthy snacks. You know how much I condone it. I gave you a chance to work again, but you’ll be of no help to me if you don’t do your job right. I hope you make better choices next time, or else I might have to let you go,” Amelie stated in her even-toned voice that never went out of pitch.

I curled my fingernails on my palms as I plastered a sorry smile across my lips. “I apologize, Amelie. It won’t happen again.”

She nodded as she regarded me with her cool eyes and swished off to greet her posse of plastic friends.

“Is my mom mad at you, Evy?” Theo inquired, engrossed in his toys.

“No, baby. You go ahead and play.” I wiped the remnants of the sweet stickiness off his face.

I gave that kid one popsicle after he told me he’d never had one in his entire life. What cruel mother didn’t let her kid not even taste a popsicle once in his life? Wasn’t that what being a kid was all about? Having popsicles and running off in the park during the summer. But I guess it was a different story when you were a rich person’s kid.

I sighed, internally. I was lucky to land this job. Even though Amelie was a complete bitch, Theo was such a sweetheart, and I loved taking care of him.

It’d been a week since Jay left me. Well, not really left me since we were never together, but we were something. We could’ve had the chance to be everything.

But now it was all gone.

Covered in furious flames and burnt to ashes, the embers now fell deep down the darkest oceans.

We were never coming back from this, that much I knew.

I think it was a much-needed wake-up call to focus on my actual life. I’d never written as much as I wrote last week. I wrote it all down and actually completed the book. A flicker of pride lit within me; I did it. I’d actually written a book. My heart soared. Auntie M would be so proud of me.

I couldn’t wait for it to see the shelves of my favorite bookstore one day. I knew I had a long road ahead, but it excited me.

I sidestepped the fast-moving cyclist as I entered the sidewalk after work. God, with my clumsy feet and my fucked-up knee, I had to be careful of every step I took in the bustling rush hour of NYC.

Tonight, Lily and I planned to meet up for dinner. It was around seven when I reached the restaurant. It was a dingy hole-in-the-wall Chinese place that served some of the best beer and greasy food. I waited at my favorite booth by the far wall while I sipped on some much-needed beer. The feeling of the cold lager hitting my throat and the alcohol rushing to my head was everything. God, I loved it.

“Hey, Evy,” a quiet voice greeted me.

My head snapped up to Lily, peering at me with a weird look on her face.

I frowned.

“Hmm, I hope you don’t mind.” She shrugged, twisting to the person behind her.

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