Page 147 of Blue Gold

My heart clenched when I remembered there was no way for him to know since he wasn’t here. And with him leaving his phone behind, I couldn’t even call to tell him about it. In fact, who knew if I’d ever see him again?

“That’s very thoughtful of you, but…” I swallowed down the lump that formed in my throat. “Elliot left me.”

Claudia’s eyes widened, and she stared back at me in shock. “What? When?”

“Last week.” I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling my skin turning cold. “You’ll probably think I deserved it… but he actually broke up with me in a letter.”

She tsked, seeming angry.

“Is that why you look like you haven’t slept in a week?”

I didn’t even realize my lack of sleep was showing.

“Is it that bad?” I smoothed a hand over my jaw, feeling the thick stubble after I didn’t bother to shave, when Claudia’s stare hardened.

“Daniel, what’s going on?”

Squeezing my eyes, I let out a heavy sigh. “Elliot, he’s… he has anorexia. Or at least, I think that he does—no. I’m sure that he does.”

“Oh, God.”

“Either way, I handled it badly, and now he’s run away, and I’ve been trying to find out where he went for the past week. So far, it hasn’t gone well at all. I mean, you’d assume that after all this time, I’d know where he’s from, right?” I looked at her, feeling hopeless. “But I don’t. I don’t know important things like that. I mean, I didn’t know someone was bullying my daughter or that she even liked ballet. When I think about it, I don’t even know what ice cream you like, and we were together for what, only nine years?”

“Ten.”

“You see?” I snorted, but it lacked humor, and honestly, I just wanted it all to end. “I’m a shitty husband, a lousy father, and a horrible boyfriend—” My voice cracked, so I bit my lips and closed my eyes.

“Hey.”

Claudia’s soft voice made me open my eyes to see that she’d stepped closer.

“How about you stay here for the night?” she offered, resting her hand on my arm.

My brows scrunched up. “No, it’s not⁠—”

“I don’t think you need to be alone, Daniel.” She sighed. “We could all have dinner together, and then you can sleep in the guest room.”

The thought of not going back to my empty house released the knot in my stomach.

“Are you sure?”

Claudia smiled, softly caressing my arm.

“Yes.”

Placing my hand on top of hers, I squeezed it. There was nothing romantic in this gesture, only gratitude, which Claudia accepted with her kind heart.

46

DANIEL

“It’s a good thing I didn’t toss all your clothes out, huh?” Claudia said after I joined her in the kitchen.

“Definitely.” I smiled at her while she sipped from her mug.

“Want some?” she offered, pointing over the fresh pot of coffee.

“Yes, please.”