The simple kindness nearly broke me. “Thanks.” I took the mug, avoiding her eyes. “How did you beat me home?”
“I know all the shortcuts. Plus, you drive like a grandma.”
“I do not.”
“You literally stopped for a squirrel yesterday.”
“It was in the road!”
“It was thinking about maybe possibly considering the road at some point.”
Despite myself, I laughed. “Fine. Whatever.”
Emily followed me to the living room, dropping onto the couch beside me as I kicked off my shoes and tucked my legs underneath me.
“So,” she began, blowing on her coffee. “Want to talk about it?”
“About what?”
“About why you’re biting everyone’s head off and staring at your phone like it personally betrayed you.”
I scowled. “I’m not biting anyone’s head off.”
“You made Porter cry yesterday.”
“He always cries.”
“You told Rebecca that her hair looked like a squirrel had died on her head.”
“That was a legitimate observation. Have you seen her new highlights?”
Emily sighed. “Mia.”
“What?” I snapped, suddenly irrationally angry. “What do you want me to say? That I’m upset because my fake fiancé slash boss slash whatever-the-fuck-he-is disappeared without a trace after the most intense weekend of my life? That I’m terrified he’s realized this whole thing was a mistake? That maybe he’s figured out I’m actually developing real feelings for him and now he’s running for the hills?” My voice cracked on the last word.
Emily’s eyes widened. “Shit, Mia, I was just?—”
“Just what? Poking at me for fun? Well, congratulations. You found the sore spot. Happy now?” I stood up abruptly, sloshing coffee onto my hand. “Fuck! That’s hot.”
“Here, let me?—”
“I’ve got it.” I stormed toward the kitchen, furiously blinking back tears that had nothing to do with burnt fingers and everything to do with the hollow ache in my chest.
I ran cold water over my hand, staring blankly at the sink. The anger drained out of me as quickly as it had come, leaving behind a bone-deep exhaustion that made my shoulders slump.
“I’m sorry,” I said, not turning around. “I’m being a bitch.”
Emily appeared beside me, gently taking my hand to examine it. “Yeah, you are. But I get it.”
“Do you?” I finally looked at her, hating the wobble in my voice. “Because I don’t. I don’t get what’s happening to me at all.”
She gave me a sad smile. “I think you do, actually. You’ve fallen for him.”
I opened my mouth to deny it, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, to my absolute horror, my eyes filled with tears.
“Oh, honey.” Emily pulled me into a hug, and I buried my face in her shoulder, trying desperately not to cry. “It’s going to be okay.”
“You don’t know that,” I mumbled against her shirt. “He’s gone, Em. No calls, no texts, nothing. Just silence.”
