James slapped me on the back. "Telling the truth is better than any grand gesture. Talk to her."
"You're not staying to celebrate?"
"It's cold and late. All I want is to go home to the woman I love. I guess that makes me soft. But I've never been happier."
"Just because that works for you..."
"Stop standing still, Mason. You're going to want to have someone to share all this success with. Don't make the same mistakes that I did."
James always seemed calm and collected. But I saw the flash of pain across his eyes. It was gone in a second. I let go of the drink in my hand. He was right. Drowning this feeling with scotch wasn't going to help anything. I didn't want to lose myself the way he had lost himself. And I was sick of standing still. I was sick of the easy women who threw themselves at me. And the even easier ones that I had to pay for. I was lying when I said Bee was easy. She was complicated and perfect and real. She was the only thing in my life that felt real.
"Hey, James," Matt said as he passed by James going toward the door. Matt sat down beside me and clapped me on the back. "Congrats, man."
"Thanks."
"Another round on me?"
I looked back down at my empty glass. I could sit here all night, trying to erase the memory of her from my mind. But what was the point in that? I'd just wake up tomorrow still missing her. I didn't need a glass in my hand. I needed her hand in mine. She fit. She was the perfect fit. "No." I stood up and pulled on my jacket. "I have to go."
"What? I just got here."
"There's something I need to do."
"Mason?" Matt called after me, but I was already running out of the bar. I needed to talk to Bee. I needed her to know how I really felt.
***
I pressed on the call box outside of Kendra's apartment building. I had run all the way there, stopping only to grab a dozen roses at a stand on the corner a few blocks back. I was out of breath and my lungs burned from the cold air.
The doors buzzed. I grabbed the handle and ran inside, skipping the elevator and sprinted up the steps instead. When I got to 307 I pounded on the door with the side of my fist.
Kendra's face fell when she opened the door. "I thought you were Chinese food."
"Is Bee here?" I tilted my head to the side and saw all of Bee's boxes in the small living room area of the apartment. "I just need to talk to her for a second."
"She's not here, Mason."
"I can see her stuff. Come on, it's important."
"She's not here. She dropped all her stuff off and left."
"Did she say anything to you?"
"She didn't have to." Kendra's eyes narrowed. "Do you have any idea how long it took her to get over Patrick? How much that hurt her?"
I didn't need the guilt trip right now. "I mean did she say anything about where she was going?"
"Like I'd tell you? You're lucky I'm not kneeing you in the balls right now. I will take these, though." She grabbed the roses out of my hand.
"Can you tell her I'm looking for her? I already tried calling and she's not answering."
"Maybe you should take the hint, Mason. Just leave her alone."
"I can't leave her alone. I'm in love with her."
Kendra just stared at me. "She didn't grow up here like you and me. She needs a nice, normal, suburban guy."
Like Patrick? You've got to be kidding me."She does belong here. She belongs with me." I grabbed the roses back out of Kendra's hand. "And you better get used to me, because I'm not going anywhere."
