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"Oh, nice. Was it a good trip?"
"Yes."
I can feel him glancing at me, perhaps waiting for more words to thread into a conversation.
I don’t oblige. My mind is too crowded to entertain small talk.
He seems to sense my reluctance, or maybe he just loses interest, turning his attention to a book.
Relief washes over me, and I allow myself to sink into the seat, my thoughts drifting to the tasks that await at home, the familiarity of my own bed, Laurie waiting at the airport.
For now, I just need to get through this flight.
As the plane takes off, I lift the bling a bit and steal one last glance out the window, watching the landscape shrink away until it’s nothing but blue skies.
Goodbye, Enzo. It’s too bad we never got to be anything.
I’m jolted out of my slumber by the tires of the plane against the runway, causing me to startle.
I’ve made it back home. I ignore the sinking feeling in my heart again and focus on the tasks ahead of me.
Exit plane. Stamp passport. Collect luggage.
Then, Laurie is there. It’s early morning in Chicago, but she’s made it.
As I approach, she opens her arms, and I fall into them without hesitation.
The dam breaks the moment she holds me. Tears spill, muffled by her shoulder, as everything I've held back comes flooding out.
"I'm home," I whisper, my voice cracking.
"I've got you," Laurie murmurs, rubbing my back in slow circles.
Pulling back slightly, I wipe my eyes. "I love him, Laurie. I really do. Leaving Enzo was the hardest thing I've ever done."
Laurie nods, her expression sympathetic. "I know. But you did what you had to do, right?"
I nod, swallowing hard. After what happened with my ex, the chaos, and the hurt, I thought Enzo could be different. But love, it seems, is not for me. It’s too tangled, too painful.
And with my career in shambles, it feels like I'm failing at everything that's supposed to define me.
Laurie leads me to the car, not letting me touch my luggage when I try to help out. When I slide into the passenger seat, I notice she’s gotten me my favorite coffee.
It’s a small gesture, but it means the world right now.
“I thought you could use the pick me up.” She smiles as she gets into the driver’s seat. "Let's focus on you for a while. No more boys, no more tears, no more trolls online.”
I nod, trying to muster more conviction than I feel.
Even though Laurie is right, I know my misery is far from over.
My heart is bleeding for Enzo, and I’m not sure it will ever stop.
24
ENZO
“We’vedoneathoroughexamination of the area,” the chief informs me. “All signs point to the same thing.”