Page 63 of Ever After

“Umm, yes. I—-” I pause. He’s going to think I’m crazy. “Do you know where Jay is? I’m outside his house right now,” I say, holding back tears. This is making me emotional. Alex stays quiet. “Look, I understand if you don’t like me. I don’t like myself either that much. I want to see him, Alex.” Tears roll down my cheeks. “I miss him.”

“I don’t know if I should tell you this. He misses you, I know that. I see it, but he won't admit it. He left for Hawaii a couple of days ago. Don’t ask me why Hawaii. He won’t be back for another couple of days.”

“Do you know where he’s staying or where I can find him?” I put Alex on speaker, and I start searching for flights to Honolulu.

“The Marriott,” Alex says.

He must be staying in the same hotel when we met. “Thank you, Alex.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m booking a flight to Hawaii.”

“Really?” Oh no, his voice doesn’t sound like this is a good idea.

“Is he seeing someone?”

“No. But you hurt him. More than Lindsee. Are you sure you are ready for this?”

“Yes. I’m sure. The only way we won’t be together is if he doesn’t want to. At least I have to try,” I explain. There is a red-eye flight that leaves soon. It’s a thousand dollars. I don’t hesitate to book it. Around midnight, I should be there.

“I have to go, Alex. There is a red-eye flight that leaves soon. Thank you for letting me know where he is.”

“Good luck.”

As I walk up to the front desk of the Marriot, nausea hits me in the pit of my stomach. My life was such a mess when I first came here with Jay and now it's a mess again trying to get Jay back.

“Hi, I was wondering if a friend of mine has checked in yet.”

“I’m sorry. For the privacy of our guests, we can’t give out any information,” the front desk clerk says.

Shit. This should have been obvious to me, so I explained what was going on. Thinking she would feel bad for me and give me his room number.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but we can’t give out any information.”

Damn it.

“Can you at least let me know if he is staying here so I don’t wait around at the wrong hotel?”

She shakes her head. Running my hands through my hair, I walk back outside. This is going to take me all night to find out if he’s in this hotel or if he’s already in bed.

I glare over toward the ocean as I wait for Alex to pick up my call. The sight and sound of the ocean helps me relax a little.

“Hello,” he says in a groggy voice. It’s safe to say I woke him up.

“Hey. I’m here and the hotel won’t let me know what room he’s staying in or if he is even at this hotel. Do you have any other information?”

“No.”

“Can you get any more information?”

“What do you want me to do, call him?”

“That would be great.”

“Lilah. It’s going to look suspicious. Why don’t you call him?”

“I can’t. He blocked me.” Alex stays quiet. “Please.”

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