Page 41 of The Last Dance

‘Ah…’ I nod, glancing at the stack of boxes on the far side of the living room with a big black letter H on the sides.

I slowly walk around the room as she disappears down the hallway. The tips of my fingers grazing along his records as I nonchalantly make my way towards the boxes. What can I say? I’m curious to what would still be in boxes only labeled as his. The top box isn’t taped shut, only folded like someone’s been in it recently. It wouldn’t hurt to take a peek. I pull on a tab, pulling the box partway open, seeing my own face. I pull the framed photo out. I’ve never seen it. I remember Claire taking this that night after the Infusion concert but with everything that happened not long after I totally forgot about it. We weren’t ready for her to take a photo so when she took it I remember we were both surprised. It’s right after she asked us how the concert was. We’re staring at each other, both with shy smiles on our faces. We don’t look as uncomfortable as I remember feeling. Why isthison the top of this box?

I glance back in and see the hoodie I’ve spent two years searching for. I pull it out of the box, the smell of his old apartment hitting me as I do. I can barely breathe through the memories racing at me.

When the door clicks open, I drop the photo to the floor accidentally, I tie the hoodie around my waist and quickly push the top of the box back closed. My heart is racing in my chest as I turn towards the front door. He almost caught me snooping through his things like a total weirdo. I glance down at the photo frame on the floor. Do I pick it up or pretend I don’t even know how it got there? Maybe he won’t notice?

‘Ambri. What are you doing here?’ He drapes the strap of his bag on a bar stool, and walks towards me, spotting the photo frame at my feet almost immediately.

I reach down and grab it, handing it to him. ‘Sorry.’ I shrug. ‘I’m here with Karmen. She’s helping me with a story lead.’

‘Ah…’ He takes the photo and stares down at it with the same smile he has in it. ‘Claire sent this to me after I moved to LA.’

‘Why’d you frame it?’ I’m genuinely curious as to why he’d want me out of his life yet frame a photo of us together. Especially a photo of us so close to when things started to fall apart.

He looks up at me, his eyes pained. ‘Actually,sheframed it.’ He flips it over; a yellow sticky note is on the back with the words‘You’re such a dick!’in Claire’s handwriting.

I laugh. ‘She’s the definition of a true best friend.’

Henry cocks his head, half glaring at me. ‘And I wasn’t?’

I fold my arms across my chest, refusing to answer his question. Maybe he was, but he ruined it. ‘Looks like you got the whole new life you wanted…’ I point to the photos mixed in with his records on the shelving unit. The photos I intentionally tried not to take too much time to look at.

‘Yeah.’ He glances at the shelf before looking back down at the photo in his hands. ‘It’s different than I thought it would be.’

‘That’s life for you.’ I walk over to the bookshelf, pretending to look through his records. ‘It never seems to end up going the way you think it will. I mean, take this, for example.’ I turn to him. ‘I never thought I’d seeyouagain. And I definitely didn’t think I’d end up in your living room with your girlfriend.’

He takes a few steps towards me. ‘I didn’t leave because I didn’t have feelings for you, Ambri.’

‘Oh, yeah? That’s weird, because you never ever mentioned you having feelings for me until that night. Then after getting what you wanted from me, you suddenly decided that you needed a new life.Withoutme. That doesn’t scream any good kind of true feelings.’

‘That’snotwhat I was there for. You make it sound like I only ever wanted to sleep with you!’ He hisses it over at me, clearly trying to keep our conversation somewhat quiet. ‘My God, we were friends for over ten years before that happened! Did you forget that part?’

‘Whatever. I’m over it. Things are better now anyway. And… I’m taking my hoodie back that you stole.’ I point at the sweatshirt now tied around my waist.

He rolls his eyes. ‘I didn’tstealyour sweatshirt. It was in my apartment when I left.’

‘Why not just toss it?’ I ask. ‘That’s what I did with all your stuff…’

I didn’t do that with his stuff. I still have all of it, packed away in boxes and buried in the back of my closet. I know exactly why he kept this stuff, because I did the same thing. I couldn’t bear to throw out what I had left of him.

‘Come on, Ambri, can you drop a tiny bit of the hostility?’ His voice is louder than I expect, startling me. He’s not exactly yelling, though he’s louder than he was, but he’s never raised his voice at me, so this is something I’ve never experienced.

‘OK…’ Karmen walks back in the room, not seeming to have noticed Henry raising his voice. We both take a step back from one another. Me towards Karmen and him towards the box the photo came out of. I watch as he quickly slips the photo back into the box before turning back to us. He’s hiding it. Just like he’s hid us.

‘Oh, hey, baby. I’m finalizing the details of setting up an interview with Matthew for Ambri at their show next week!And…’ she nearly squeals ‘… we’ve got not only a backstage invitation, but we’re VIP during the show.’

I can’t even help but drop my hateful stance and smile at her.

‘Oh, my God!’ I giggle with her. ‘Youare amazing. Thank you!’

‘Totally my pleasure. We are going to have so much fun! It’ll give us a chance to get to know each other better. I’m always telling Henry we need more couple friends.’ Karmen walks across the room to him, sliding her arm around his waist. He puts on a smile and nods, but his eyes are staring right into my soul.

I look away. ‘Yeah, me too. That’s what I always tell Noah.’ That’s a full-out lie and even Henry knows it. I’ve never told Noah I want more friends. I’m perfectly happy with Claire and Ben. More couple friends means less time for Noah and me and more time explaining why I ordered two entrées when we go out to eat. Both things I’d rather avoid.

I glance at Henry when he reaches up and rubs his own neck. He’s stressed out and I’m the reason. Good.

‘Won’t it be such fun?’ Karmen asks Henry.

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