Page 103 of You, with a View

“You okay?” I asked, suddenly feeling like I’d asked him that a lot lately.

He nodded, running a hand over his bare chest. “Yeah, I’m good. I—I’ll check in.”

But he hasn’t, and now as it creeps closer to four, I feel a sense of foreboding I can’t explain.

Maybe it’s that I texted Dad earlier, telling him I wanted to make sure we had dinner together tonight. He promised to pick up In-N-Out on the way, our favorite meal. I stared at that text message for minutes, guilt shadowing my productive day.

I drum my fingernails on my pale wood desk, then text Theo:How’s it going? I’m having dinner with my parents tonight, but I can come over late.

I have no idea what Theo’s day looks like or if he’ll be up for it. Surely he’s talked to Anton and Matias. Did his two weeks away give them the distance to see that they want to work together to find a happy medium? Or is Theo conceding to it all?

I wish I knew. I want to be that resource Flor claimed I was during his reading. A safe space, an open ear. If he’s having a badday, I want to pour him a glass of wine and let him unload. And if he’s had a good one, I want to celebrate it.

My phone dings, and I grab it eagerly, assuming it’s Theo’s response.

Instead, it’s a LinkedIn notification:Theo Spencer, who you follow, is in the news.

I frown, hitting the banner, and an article from a well-known tech site pops up.

TRAVEL APP WHERE TO NEXT’S COFOUNDER AND CFO EXITS BUSINESS

Adrenaline crashes through me, the words swimming in front of my eyes. It takes several frantic moments for what I’m reading to sink in.

In a surprise move today, popular travel app Where To Next announced that cofounder and CFO, Theo Spencer, has exited the business.

“We are so appreciative of Theo’s invaluable contributions over the years,” cofounder and CEO Anton Popov said in a press release by the company. “We wish him the best. Nathan Mata, current SVP of Finance, will be stepping into his role. We expect a seamless transition so we can continue providing our valued customers with unforgettable experiences, and are excited about the future growth of WTN.”

The next couple paragraphs go on to talk about the history of the business—which is Theo, I want to scream—and the current state of the business.

At the end is this:Spencer could not be reached for comment.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I whisper, dread pulling at me, making me clumsy and sluggish. Did they blindside Theo with this, too? The thought makes me want to throw up. I can only imagine how he’s feeling.

There are footsteps down the hall, heavy and purposeful, and my brain spits outTHEO, though it can’t be. He must be at home.

The door swings open—no knock—and my dad stands there instead. He holds up his phone, my TikTok account on the screen. His expression is tight, cheeks pale.

“Noelle,” he says, in a voice I rarely hear from him. “What the hell is this?”

Twenty-Nine

I stare at the phone in Dad’s hand.

“I can explain,” I manage to get out. My heart is on fire, and my mind has taken off in about five different directions, trying to figure out what the hell’s happening.

He steps into my room. “Start explaining, then.”

Another wave of adrenaline hits as I push back from my desk. I need to go see Theo. “I can’t.”

“Noelle.”Dad lifts his hands, exasperated.

“I mean, I can’t right now. I’m going to. I was going to explain everything tonight, actually.” As I say this, I’m pulling a sweater over my head, marveling at the spectacularly shitty, ironic timing of everything. “But I—something happened and I need to go.”

Like that, his expression changes from irritation to concern. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”

“I honestly don’t know,” I sigh.

A stricken look crosses his features, and I recognize it immediately: the knee-jerk catastrophizing we’ve started doing sinceGram died. It’s hard to conceptualize that sudden bad news could be right around the corner until you get it yourself. Then, the reality that life can change in an instant never leaves your mind.

---