4
Even though I wasn’t leaving right away, I
started looking into the project details.
Ireland was on a different time zone. By the
time I hung up, it was already getting dark
over there.
And it was well past midnight here.
My head was spinning. I filled the tub with hot
water and sank in. My whole body relaxed.
I was so exhausted that I drifted off to sleep
with my music playing.
く
I woke up to the sound of the front door
opening.
“Sarah?”
It was Mark.
His voice echoed through the apartment,
getting more and more frustrated.
He opened the bathroom door. His voice got
deeper.
“Sarah.”
There was a hint of blame in his eyes.
I had no idea what he was mad about.
Was he upset that I wasn’t waiting for him in
the living room, ready to yell about him and
Ashley like I used to?
“You’re home. Sorry, I fell asleep. Didn’t hear
you.”
I grabbed the edge of the tub. “Could you
give me a minute, please?”
Polite, distant.
He frowned.
Then he pinched the bridge of his nose,
looking exhausted.
“I wasn’t home this late because Ashley drank too much. Her ex–boyfriend was harassing
her. I couldn’t just leave her alone
“1
“Right, safety first.”
He stared at me.
I gave him a faint smile.
“You’re… not mad?”
I laughed.
“What’s there to be mad about? You guys are
childhood friends, you took her home. She is
a single female, after all. So?”
Mark looked at me like he didn’t know who I
was anymore.
I waited a few seconds, but he didn’t move. I
stood up to grab a towel.
<
We’ve been living together for years, it’s not
like he hasn’t seen my body before, but I was
starting to feel awkward.
I wrapped the towel around myself and
started to walk past him.
He grabbed my wrist.
“Sarah, can you just tell me what’s going on?”
I paused.
“What do you want me to say?”
He hesitated. “You… always have so much to
say.”
I thought about it for a second.
It was true. Every time Ashley caused a fight, I
was the one doing all the complaining and
arguing.
But I realized you only lose it when you’re
completely, utterly in love.
I didn’t feel anything anymore.
So, there was nothing to say.
I gently pulled my wrist out of his grip. “It’s
late. It’s after two in the morning. We have to
get up early tomorrow.”
He was left standing there with his hand in
mid–air.
I yawned. “Don’t stay up too late, okay? I’m
going to bed. Goodnight.”
I climbed into bed and closed my eyes.
There was silence outside the bedroom for a
minute.
Then…
SLAM! The door slammed shut, waking me
- up.
It was Mark.
He stormed out.
I knew why he was mad.
He actually gave me an opening.
And I didn’t take it.
