Page 11 of The Hang Up
I won’t.
I won’t let him in. I won’t let him win.
“I’m heading to work,” I call over my shoulder as I grab my purse and keys.
“Have fun,” Mom says, barely glancing away from the TV screen.
“What are you doing today?” I ask, keeping my voice light.
“I need to pick up my prescription.”
“I can do that, Mom,” I offer.
“No. No, I’ve got it.”
“Okay, well, let me know if you change your mind. I can swing by after work and grab it.”
“Okay.” She waves dismissively.
I take a deep breath, letting it out slowly as I head out. Stepping outside, I pull my coat tighter against the morning chill. The air smells like autumn, like fallen leaves and the promise of winter around the corner. The sky is soft and gray, heavy with unshed rain.
I walk. It’s only six blocks to Clay & Cupcakes, but it feels longer today.
Maybe it’s the heaviness in my chest or the way my boots seem to drag with every step, but by the time I make it to the town square, I’m already out of breath and out of patience.
And of course, he’s there.
Standing by the fountain like he belongs there, like this isn’t a coordinated attack by the universe. His hands are in the pockets of his jacket, his dark eyes scanning the street like he’s looking for something… or someone.
His gaze lands on me, and I swear he lights up.
I want to punch something.
“Lena!” he calls out, stepping toward me.
I put my head down and keep walking, but he jogs to catch up, falling into step beside me like we’re old friends on a stroll.
“Can we talk?” he asks, breathless.
“No,” I snap, not even looking at him.
“Just five minutes?—”
“I said no!”
He stops walking, and so do I, because I can’t hold it in anymore. We’re standing in the middle of the town square, and I know people are watching, but I don’t care. I’ve been holding this in for too long, and I’m so damn tired.
“You don’t get to do this,” I hiss, turning to face him. “You don’t get to walk back into town and act like nothing happened, like we didn’t have a life planned. Like you didn’t just disappear and never look back!”
His mouth opens, but I barrel on.
“You left me, Holden! You left without even saying goodbye. No note. No explanation. Just gone. Do you know what that did to me?”
He flinches like I hit him, but I don’t stop.
“I spent months waiting. Wondering what I did wrong. Thinking maybe I wasn’t enough. That maybe if I had loved you harder, you would’ve stayed.”
His hands clench at his sides, his eyes glassy.
