Page 74 of Pinky Promises

Chapter 30

Brynn

“Ben’snotmadatme for missing the auction, right?” Tonight is the bachelor auction that Ben and Lexi’s company, Maritime Media, is hosting to support a local cancer charity. Hadley and Lexi are across town setting up for the event and have me on speakerphone.

Callum is one of the featured bachelors, and I just don’t have it in me to attend.

I taught six classes today, and I’m pretty sure these clothes will need to be surgically removed from the solidified sweat on my body. It wasn’t my proudest moment walking into the grocery store smelling as ripe as the dumpster out back. But I’m proud of myself for getting out of bed. Typically, I have Callum there to help me fix the pieces of my broken heart and get me up and moving, but this was my biggest fear—going through it alone because he was the one who hurt me.

“No, of course he’s not mad, and neither am I. We are, however, worried about you.”

“Have you talked to him?” I break the ice, bringing up the elephant in the room. The other day, I returned from Hadley’s apartment to find a note on the counter letting me know that he was giving me space and would be staying at Ben and Lexi’s. I hadn’t asked him to move out when I asked for time, but I also didn’t stop him and tell him to come home. It’s been lonely, so I’ve kept myself busy. To avoid being at the apartment, I picked up a few extra classes at the gym over the last few days.

“Well, yeah,” Lexi says. I guess that was dumb to ask her since he’s staying in her guest room and is one of the bachelors in tonight’s auction. My brain isn’t functioning fully.

“He’s a mess, Brynn,” Hadley adds.

“Trust me; I get it.” I’m pretty sure if you looked up in the dictionary “hot mess express,” you would see my name and photo as an example.

I juggle my gym bag and the few bags of groceries to retrieve my keys from my purse and insert the key in the lock. I should get a gold medal for balancing everything, including resting my phone between my shoulder and cheek. When I open the door, everything crashes to the floor, including my phone, as my jaw drops in shock.

“Brynn? Brynn! Are you there? Are you okay?” Lexi and Hadley shout through the phone.

I glance around the apartment. It’s filled with the most gorgeous colorful arrangements of flowers. We don’t have a small apartment either, and I mean, almost every inch of surface is covered.

“Brynn, I swear to God if you don’t answer me, I’m calling 911.”

Oh shit.I bend down, grab my phone from the pile, and check the groceries to ensure that the important stuff—the wine—isn’t broken.Phew, that could’ve been even more depressing.

“I’m here. Sorry. It’s just—oh my God. The apartment…” I trail off, unsure of the words even to describe it. “It’s… it’s,” I stutter.

“We know,” Hadley says.

“What? You know?”

“Hey, don’t shoot the messengers. Just read each card. Okay?” I bite my lip and nod as if they could see me doing so. Can I, though? Can I read these? “Do you want us to stay on the phone with you?” Hadley asks.

“No, you guys have so much to do to get ready for tonight. It’s fine.”

“Okay, we’re just a call away,” Lexi says.

“Love you,” they say in unison.

“Love you, too.”

I lean against the front door and take a look around.

When did he do this?

How did he do this?

How do I do this? I could always call the girls back, but no, I need to do this. I owe it to myself to hear what he went through all this trouble to say. I owe it to us.

I throw caution to the wind and decide the shower can wait. I head to the kitchen, open the wine bottle, and pour a big glass. If I’m going to do this, I need the encouragement of liquid bravery. After taking a large swig, I make my way back to the living room.

I step in front of the vase with a sign reading “START HERE,” written in Callum’s chicken scratch handwriting. I pull the envelope carefully from the holder and open it to reveal a folded-up piece of paper.

Brynn, telling you I’m sorry just doesn’t feel like enough. Please read each card. If you struggle to carry them, I labeled each envelope with the order. Yours always, Callum.

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