Page 112 of We Used To Be Magic

Oh. Well – that’s anti-climactic. And slightly devastating, actually, because as much as I’d like to believe that he’s busy, it’s just as probable that he saw my name and deliberately ignoredthe call. I quickly hang up, resting my elbows on the ledge of the terrace and pressing my phone to my forehead.

Maybe it’s for the best – I probably would have made some stupid, dramatic declaration and humiliated myself. But I’m embarrassingly close to tears all the same, and I shut my eyes tight to keep them at bay. I refuse to cry tonight. All I need is a moment to pull myself together, and then I’m going to finish my drink, find Marika anddragher to the dancefloor. I’m going to enjoy my last night in this city. I’m—

And then my phone buzzes to life in my hands. I blink away my tears, heart leaping as I see Ezra’s name. I fumble to answer – Ifumble, and there’s an awful moment of clarity when I realise what’s happening. But my brain is quicker than my body, and before I can react, my hands are empty. And then I hear a dull, distantthwackfrom the street below.

I gasp, craning my neck. No pedestrians in sight, which – thank fuck, but also –fuck.I race through the party and down the stairwell, praying for a miracle. But when I finally reach my phone, it’s painfully obvious that it’s a goner. The screen is still valiantly flickering with light but it’s obliterated, shards falling away as I gingerly pick it up from the pavement.

I have no way of calling Ezra back, now. But he calledme.

He called me, and suddenly I’m walking, fast, because he’s out there and he called me, and that means that he wants to talk to me. To say what, I have no idea, but I also have no intention of not finding out.

Marika invited Mac to the party, tonight – he said he’d come by after work, which means that Ezra could be working too. And if he’s not, then Mac will know where he is. And if he doesn’t, then … then I’ll figure it out. Ezra’s out there somewhere, and he wants to talk to me. It’s all that matters.

I break into a run before I’ve even reached the end of the street.

EZRA

‘WHO AREYOU CALLING?’MAC ASKS.

‘Audrey. She tried to call and I missed it,’ I mutter. ‘I’m calling back, but it keeps going straight to voicemail.’

I try again, lifting the phone to my ear.

‘I’m sorry, the number you have called is currently unavailable. Please—’

‘Fuck.’ I groan. She literally called two minutes ago – I saw it as soon as I got into my locker. I’m still standing here, bedraggled and sweaty after my first shift back. If I hadn’t stopped to take all that stupid laundry – what could have happened in twominutesthat she’s suddenly unavailable?

‘I didn’t realise you guys were talking again,’ Mac says, watching me.

‘We weren’t – we’re not. But …’

But, but,but.This could mean anything, and the fact that her phone’s not even ringing is driving me wild. Did it die? Did she turn it off? Maybe calling me was an accident, or she changed her mind –

‘IfonlyI could offer you advice.’ Mac sighs theatrically, pausing to pull his shirt over his head. ‘But seeing as you refused to tell me anything about the extremely mysterious fight that you guys had, I can’t.’

‘I – I don’t think I called it a fight.’

‘Conflict, fracas, whatever. The point is, she was mad at you. Right?’

‘Yeah,’ I say, stomach clenching unpleasantly at the memory. ‘Or – upset, I guess. But it was bad.’

‘Because of something you did?’

‘… Yeah.’

‘On purpose? Like – did you know that it would hurt her, and you did it anyway?’

‘No. No, the opposite. I was trying toavoidhurting her. But I’m an idiot, so …’

‘I’m aware,’ he says, tugging on a tight white T-shirt. ‘I’m just trying to gauge the situation.’

‘The situation is that I fucked up,’ I say, sinking down on to the lumpy sofa beside the door. ‘The situation is almost always that I fucked up.’

‘Sure. Like when you ghosted me for over a week, and I had to find out from Romy that you weren’t dead.’

I glance up, startled. Mac is rifling through his locker, so I can’t see his face to figure out if he’s serious or not.

‘Oh, um – sorry,’ I say uncertainly. ‘I didn’t – were you actually worried?’

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