Page 15 of Away With You
Which, fair. But also, what it is. Or was. Because it’s not happening again.
“How about this?” she changes tack. “Why don’t you get out of bed, and we can Uber Eats breakfast?”
Hmmm. The conundrum. On the one hand, bed. On the other hand, food. In an ideal world, I’d have food in bed, but with Jadelooking at me with her determined face, I’m pretty sure she’ll veto that idea. She’s always vetoing my suggestions.
“Fine.” I let out a long-suffering sigh, so she knows how much this is paining me, and drag my tired old-before-its-time body out of bed. Scooping up my hair, I wrangle it into a messy bun at the base of my neck and cover my pyjamas with the warmest sweatshirt I own.
“Really? You go on a date with Nathan Jackson, and you’re wearing that?”
I frown down at my torso. “First, it wasn’t a date. Second, it wasn’t a date. And third, this sweatshirt is cozy and extra-large, so it keeps more of me warm.”
She shakes her head, pushing me out of my cave and into the sun. Okay, not the actual sun, but my brightly lit living room. Same thing.
“What shall we eat?”
I consult my stomach as I pour us both a cup of tea. “Bagels?”
Jade’s eyes light up, and she gets to work, scrolling through her phone and placing the order. We’ve done this often enough to know what we want and from where; a wonderful by-product of having your best friend also as your neighbour.
“Done. Food will be here soon.”
She flops on the couch, and I bring the teacups over to join her. Settling in, I pull up my fuzzy socks and sigh. This isn’t so bad. It’s not vegging in bed all day, but it’s still comfy clothes and a soft surface to lounge on.
“So, have you heard from Nathan?” she asks.
I groan. Not this again. “No, and I don’t expect to.”
Her pale pink lips jut out in an uber pout. “He didn’t say he’d call?”
“Why would he?” At this point, I’m just exasperated. Jade is not buying what I’m selling. Which is the truth: Nathan and Ihave no reason to see each other ever again. “We caught up. We reminisced. We said goodbye. The End.”
My phone flashes on the table next to us. I glance at it, and my back suddenly goes ramrod straight.
“What is it?” Jade asks.
I grab up my phone and read the message on my screen.
NATHAN
Are you home?
Certain my eyes are playing tricks on me—what sort of witchcraft has Jade played with my phone?—I shake my head and my phone and read the message again.
“It’s from Nathan,” I admit, restarting my phone just in case it’s been hacked.
My friend’s face shines like the cat who gotallthe cream. “Oh, really? Is that so? A message from the man you’re never going to hear from again? Fancy that.”
I kick her in the shin, not a little bit sorry when she winces at the contact. “Shut up. This is serious. He wants to know if I’m home.”
Her eyes widen and, quick as a flash, she darts to the window.
“What are you doing?”
She looks between me and the view outside and down below. “I’m checking to see if he’s standing outside with a boombox above his head.”
I throw a cushion at her and focus back on my phone. It’s re-started, and the message is still there.
Are you home?
