Page 99 of All That Glitters
They both took a sip, and Debbie was surprised to find tears pricking at her eyes. It was really happening. She was leaving.Everything familiar — her apartment, her friends, San Diego — it was all about to be replaced by something new and unknown.
“Have you heard from him?” Veronica asked carefully, setting her mug down.
Debbie didn’t need to ask who she meant. “No,” she said, trying to keep her voice neutral. “Not since my phone drowned in the pool at that party.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
Debbie shrugged, aiming for nonchalance but not quite hitting the mark. “It’s probably for the best. Clean break and all that.”
Veronica studied her friend’s face. “You know, it’s okay to admit you’re disappointed.”
A beat of silence passed between them, thick with all the things Debbie wasn’t saying. Then she sighed, her shoulders slumping. “I thought maybe he’d call your phone when he couldn’t reach me on mine.”
“He’s an idiot,” Veronica said firmly. “Always has been.”
“But that’s just it,” Debbie said, setting down her mug. “He’s not. He’s brilliant and creative and funny and...” She trailed off, shaking her head. “I really thought this time was different. I thought he finally saw me.”
“Maybe he did,” Veronica said gently. “But some people, when faced with real emotions, they run. They hide. It doesn’t mean that what he felt wasn’t real. It just means he wasn’t ready for it.”
“And I’m supposed to wait around until he is?” Debbie asked, a flash of anger cutting through her sadness. “No. I’m done waiting for Tony Harding to figure out what he wants. I’m going to Paris, and I’m going to have an amazing time, and I’m not going to spend one single minute thinking about him.”
“That’s my girl,” Veronica said, a proud smile lighting up her face. “Paris won’t know what hit it.”
Veronica’s phone buzzed then, and she pulled it out, glancing at the screen.
“Tony?” Debbie asked, hope flashing momentarily in her eyes.
Veronica shook her head. “Your Uber’s here.”
Outside, a horn honked.
“That’s me,” Debbie said, suddenly nervous. This was it. The moment of departure.
Veronica’s composure broke. She closed the distance between them and pulled Debbie into a tight, fierce hug.
“I’m gonna miss you, girl,” Veronica said, her voice muffled in Debbie’s shoulder.
“You too,” Debbie whispered back, squeezing her friend tightly, trying to memorize the feeling. For so long, Veronica had been her anchor, her voice of reason, her partner in crime. The thought of navigating a new continent without her was suddenly, terrifyingly real.
Veronica finally pulled away, her eyes a little too bright. She gave Debbie’s shoulder a final squeeze. “You’d better write,” she said, her voice regaining its usual teasing tone. “Let me know what bars you’re burning down over there.”
Debbie laughed, a real laugh, though it felt fragile. “I will.”
“And Deb?” Veronica added, her expression turning serious. “Be open to everything. The food, the culture, the people... all of it. Don’t close yourself off because of what happened here.”
Debbie nodded, understanding what her friend was really saying. “I’ll try.”
She took one last look around the apartment, a silent goodbye to the brief, tumultuous life she’d lived there. Then she took a deep breath, picked up her suitcases, and walked out the door, Veronica following with the rest of her bags.
As they loaded the Uber, Debbie couldn’t help but scan the street, a tiny, foolish part of her still half-expecting to see a familiar figure racing toward her, calling her name. But the street was empty except for the usual afternoon traffic.
It was time to go. Time to write her own story, without waiting for someone else to give it a happy ending.
“Ready?” Veronica asked, holding the car door open.
Debbie nodded, climbing in. “Ready.”
As the car pulled away, she looked back at Veronica standing on the sidewalk, waving. She realized with sudden clarity that this was what growing up felt like — leaving safe harbors, sailing into unknown waters, and trusting that you were strong enough to weather whatever storms came your way.
