Page 8 of The Weight Of It All

“And that’s why you shouldn’t talk to him right now.” Anika held out her hand. “Can I have your phone?”

I looked at her dubiously. “Why?”

“I’ll text him on your behalf.”

“I’m pretty sure I can do it.”

“I know you, Henry. You’ll stare at your phone for two hours, write out a hundred texts, and delete them all. You’ll overthink it and you’ll end up keeping his stuff and making a shrine out of it. We’ll come to visit and you’ll have a prayer corner devoted to him.”

“Remember the time with Sex and the City ?” Sean added softly. “With the whole shrine to Samantha Jones?”

“That doesn’t count. I was sick with fever and possibly delusional. And Samantha Jones is like my idol, so shut up.”

Anika raised her eyebrow at me and stuck her hand in my face, palm up. “Phone, Henry.”

I handed it over, and watched her as she said out loud what she was typing. “Hi, you left some things at my place, like your balls and your backbone, you gutless fuck.”

“Anika!”

She showed me the screen and had, thankfully, not typed in the last part. “Let me know by Friday if you want to collect them. Thanks.”

“Why Friday?” I asked.

“You’re giving him a deadline,” she explained. “It tells him, one, you’re not waiting forever, and, two, no explanation of what happens to said belongings if he doesn’t collect them. That tells him you hold no sentimental attachment, because fuck him.”

“Oh.”

She gave me a bright smile. “Then by this time next week, if he still hasn’t collected them, I’ll bring around the petrol for that ceremonial burning I was looking forward to.

” Then she made a thoughtful, somewhat sad face.

“We might give him two weeks. That way, with a bit of luck, if or when he does call around, you’ll have realised you’re better off without him. ”

I sighed. “I’m trying to remember why I ever thought your blunt-force honesty was an endearing quality.”

“Two weeks is for your benefit, not his,” she said, typing away on my phone.

She held it out and showed me. It was a short and direct request to come and collect his things, asking him to reply to the text first. I assumed that was so I could let Anika know when he was coming around so she could be at my place when he turned up. “Happy for me to send him the text?”

I thought about it for a moment and nodded, and before I could change my mind, she pressed Send. She slid my phone across the table to me and the wait staff cleared our plates, and not a moment later, my phone beeped with a message.

I startled and went to grab the phone, but the sudden movement jarred the sore muscles in my arm. “Ow. ”

Anika snatched up the phone and read the screen.

“Is it him?” I asked, unable to hide the hope in my voice.

She shook her head. “Reed Henske,” she replied. “Wants to know how you’re feeling today?”

“Oh.” I couldn’t help but smile and held out my hand for my phone. “Can I have my phone?”

Anika shook her head. “No, I got this one too.”

“Anika, please don’t.”

But she was already typing.

Hi Reed. This is Anika, Henry’s best friend.

She hit Send and gave me that daring smirk that made me and Sean both sigh. My phone beeped almost immediately. Anika read his reply out loud. “Is Henry okay?” She made a sappy face. “Awww, he’s sweet!” Then she replied to his text.

He’s fine. Whinging that he’s sore every time he moves, but fine.

Then a complete text conversation happened between them without me.

That’s good. Will he be in tomorrow for his session?

Yes, he’ll be there.

Good.

Can I ask you something?

Sure.

Henske. Is it German?

Yes.

How old are you?

31.

“Thirty-one?” I mumbled. “God, he looks twenty-two.”

Henry just said, “Shit you don’t look that old.” LOL These are all the questions Henry was too scared to ask you, by the way.

That’s fine. Can I ask you something?

Anika did a little dance in her seat and quickly typed out her reply.

Yes.

“No,” I interrupted. “Can I have my phone back please?”

Anika grinned. “Nope.”

Then my phone beeped again with Reed’s next message.

Is Henry always so funny?

Anika quickly replied.

Always. Except for now. He’s pissed I won’t give him his phone back.

Then she snapped a photo of me and sent it before I could stop her.

She slid my phone back to me with a laugh. Then, in a sing-song voice, she said, “He thinks you’re funny.”

“Still on that island of not interested,” I said, now frowning at the horrible photo of me she sent him.

“You can pay for lunch,” I told her then quickly typed out a response to Reed, speaking the words out loud as I typed.

“This is Henry. Apologies for Anika’s questions.

Just so you know, she’s been demoted to worst best friend ever.

” I gave Anika a snarly glare. “Yes, I’ll be there tomorrow at eight. ”

His reply was almost immediate.

Are you eating at Tre Vini? The background of your photo looks familiar. I love that place.

I texted straight back.

Yes! First time here. Great food. I wanted pasta. But just so you know, I had the healthiest thing on the menu.

Good man! Enjoy your carbo-coma. See you tomorrow.

“Henry, you’re smiling at your phone,” Anika said. I looked up to find them both staring at me.

“What? Don’t look at me like that. I told you before, I am one hundred percent not interested. He’s a nice guy. He understands what I’m putting my body through, and so what if he texts me to see how I’m doing. Isn’t that what all personal trainers do?”

Anika and Sean shook their heads slowly. “Not really,” Sean added. “Unless he’s a life coach or well-being mentor or whatever they’re calling themselves these days. Is that what you signed up for?”

“Well, no.” I hesitated. “He’s just my personal trainer.”

“Who has your number and texts you,” Anika prodded.

“Yes. To see how I’m holding up, that’s all. I thought it was nice. ”

Sean grinned. “Next thing you know he’ll be accidentally running into you in the supermarket.”

Oh God.

“Oh my God,” Anika said, a slow grin spreading across her face. “He has already? Jeez, he’s moving fast!”

“What? No! It wasn’t like that,” I protested quickly. “He lives close by, apparently. It’s our mutual supermarket. People are allowed to have a mutual supermarket. He suggested I go shopping for my new diet plan before I went home because he knew I wouldn’t be able to get up once I sat down.”

Anika side-eyed me. “So, he knew you were going to be there? And just so happened to turn up as well? Interesting.”

I shook my head. “It’s not interesting. It was just a coincidence.

” Anika pursed her lips together, and before she could say one more thing about it, I added, “Please don’t go there.

I’m so not ready for that. My heart is broken, and I can’t see myself ever being ready for that.

I mean, Graham might not love me anymore, but I can’t just turn my heart off.

” I swallowed hard. “And anyway, if you saw Reed, you’d understand why you’re being completely absurd.

He’s… well, I’m hardly his type. I don’t even know if he’s…

inclined to be interested. Not that it matters, because I’m on the island of indefinitely not interested. ”

Anika’s face softened. “Oh, Henry, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to push. Of course it’s too soon.”

Sean turned the empty glass in his hand. “Don’t sell yourself short, Henry. Graham was a dickhead for leaving, and it’s his loss. And it will be some lucky bloke’s gain, just you wait and see.”

Anika stared at Sean, as did I. It was the most heartfelt thing I’d heard him say. “Awww,” Anika cooed. She nudged his shoulder with hers. “You’re so getting lucky tonight.”

He turned a deep-pink shade of embarrassed, and while they were looking all lovey-dovey into each other’s eyes, I stood up, only merely wincing in pain. “Being nice to me and sickly in love doesn’t count. You’re still paying.”

They laughed as they followed me to the ma?tre d’s table where Anika cheerfully handed over her credit card.

The drive home was kinda quiet, though I felt a lot better than I had this morning.

When Anika pulled up out the front of my place, she turned in her seat.

“I’ll call you tonight, okay?” She waited for me to nod.

“And if Graham replies to that text, call me before you do anything, okay?”

Oh. I’d already forgotten about that text… “Sure.”

With my better mood suddenly deflated, I faced my dining table full of Graham’s belongings, and I felt more than deflated. I was back to square one.

And although I’d hoped, and although I checked my phone a dozen times, he never replied.