Page 12 of That Last Summer

“The divorce papers.”

“Great, yeah, give them to my lawyer,” I say, pointing at Jaime with my finger.

I’ve always wanted to say that, even if the words have stuck in my throat. Even if Jaime is not a lawyer; even if it hurts like nothing else in the world, more even than seeing him with the redhead. Being married to him made me feel like deep down, somehow, we had each other. That there was something between us no one could ever take away, despite loathing each other as we did, despite the fact that we were living more than three thousand miles apart.

Shit. I don’t even understand myself.

“I will, don’t you worry,” he says.

I look at Jaime, who’s following our conversation as if it were a tennis game. Marcos, Pedro, and the redhead too, each with a different look in their eyes: pain, amazement, and satisfaction, respectively. And seriously, what the hell is the redhead from the Underworld doing here? She hasn’t even opened her mouth.

“Do it,” I say. “But you know we’re neighbors, right? You could have sent them to me through my family anytime.”

“We were neighbors,” he points out. “And I have to admit I was waiting for you to send them to me, considering you were the one who left just like that.”

I want to answer that it wasn’t “just like that,” but he turns around and walks away. It’s beginning to look like a routine: he says the last word and walks away all dignified, leaving me there with a stupid expression on my face, belatedly thinking of something clever to answer him with. This time, however, I get up and follow him; there’s something I need to know.

“Alex! Wait.”

“What?” He pauses but doesn’t turn around.

“Where’s Dark?”

Dark is our dog. The dog Alex and I found on the street and adopted when we were just kids. The one I also abandoned when I left.

“I gave him to another family. But don’t worry, Queen of the Desert, he’s a happy dog.”

“What?”

And he walks away. Again. Without any further explanation. And I remain there, in the middle of the pub, stunned by what he’s just said. I wasn’t expecting that at all. I’m trying to come to terms with it, until my cell phone vibrates in my pocket.

River Phoenix:

Which one of you four has fucked things up with Cata?

Oh, shit. I forgot about our encounter with my sister-in-law. I send him the blond-haired emoticon, the one raising her hand. That would be me.

Priscila:

Guilty as charged. Well, it was Jaime, really. We’re sorry!

River Phoenix:

Fucking brilliant

Marco Polo:

Did she make a fuss?

Marcos comes to stand next to me after sending that message and puts his arm around my shoulders. I push it away immediately.

River Phoenix:

Quite so.

Adri:

You’re sleeping on the couch tonight.