Page 23 of The Girlfriend Clause
My thumb hovered over the screen.
I could meet him round the corner. It was just a conversation.
ShouldI?
I kept my eyes on the little typing dots.
Rudy:You didn’t even give me a chance toexplain.
I paused. Why did I sense this was going to end up being my fault?
Rudy:I feel like you’ve completely blindsided me here. Nothing happened, okay? She just came over to pick up gear. You’re making this bigger than itwas.
The dots appeared again.
Rudy:Can you please reply? Ghosting me is not cool, Andy. It’s not mature. I deservebetter.
Notmature?
Rudy:I’ve had a rough week too, you know. My mental health’s in the basement, Andy.
Of course. His mental health.
Rudy:Anyway, can you drop my amp and pedals round later? Kai needsthem.
There it was. The real reason.
Rudy:Are you seriously ignoring me, Andy?
Rudy:Wow. Unbelievable.
Rudy:Just give me the amp, Andrea. I needit.
Something in my chest clicked into place.
I scrolled to the bottom of the screen. I’d never done this before, to anyone.
Well, fuck it. I was doing it now.
The red text gleamed at me:Block “Rudy”? Are yousure?
Oh, I was sure.
I tapped the screen. The little dial whirled.
Then … nothing.
The texts stopped.
He was gone.
Quiet bloomed around me, like a distant fire alarm had finally been turned off.
No insistent messages. No tug on the collar of my life telling me to come back and fix something I didn’t break.
Outside, I could see Liam’s tall shape pacing. His head was tilted, his brown hair tousled by the wind. He turned and looked at me, then held up a couple of fingers with an apologetic smile. “Two minutes,” he mouthed.
Liam.
