Page 29 of American Beauty

I reach for my phone with unsteady hands and give it to her. I can’t look again or say the words.

She reads for a moment and her whole body stiffens. “What. The. Fuck.”

I bury my face in my hands, and sobs begin anew. “It makes no sense.”

“I agree. It doesn’t.” Her voice is furious, sharp. “This isn’t him. It can’t be. Someone has his phone and they’re punking you. But it’s not funny.”

No one has his phone.

No one is punking me.

I tell her everything––that my texts won’t deliver, my calls go straight to voicemail. And when I voice my suspicion about him blocking me, she looks like she’s ready to launch into orbit.

“This is wrong. So fucking wrong.”

“I don’t know what to do.”

Violet takes my shoulders and locks eyes with me. “Yes, you do. You’re calling his office right now.”

I hesitate, my fingers curling into fists at my sides. I’ve never been the type to push myself onto anyone. It’s survival—my way of protecting the parts of me that no one else bothered to. If I don’t ask, if I don’t reach, then I don’t have to face the cold sting of rejection. I know this about myself. It’s carved into my bones.

And calling him after this? After being blocked?

No.

Love is a loaded gun. Hope causes you to hand it over, placing it in his hands. His rejection is what pulls the trigger. And heartbreak is the bullet that never misses.

“I can’t, Vi?—”

“Fuck yes, you can. You deserve answers. He owes you that much.”

My hands are shaking as I open my phone and scroll through my contacts. I don’t want to do this.Fuck, I don’t want to do this.

I land on the number for Alex’s office and hesitate for a long moment before pressing the number.

The phone rings once. Twice.

“Thank you for calling Sebring Hotels Corporate Headquarters. This is Courtney. How may I help you today?” Her voice is calm. Familiar. Controlled.

The opposite of me right now.

I straighten, pressing the phone tighter to my ear. “Hi, Courtney? It’s Magnolia. Can you please put me through to Alex?”

There’s a pause, long enough to set every one of my nerves on edge. Her voice shifts to something colder, clipped, distant. “Mr. Sebring isn’t taking your calls.”

My stomach plummets. “I just need to speak with him for a moment.”

“I’m sorry.” She says the words, but there’s no empathy in her voice. “Mr. Sebring has made it very clear. He doesn’t want to talk to you.”

The ground tilts beneath me, sending my world sideways.

“He was quite specific with his directions, Miss Steel. No calls. No messages.Noexceptions.” Each of her words is cold as ice.

I’m frozen in place, phone still pressed to my ear, when Violet lunges forward and takes it from me. “Listen up, Courtney.” Her voice is sharp as a blade. “You put his ass on the phone right this fucking minute.”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”

Violet snaps. “Bull… shit…Courtney.”

---