Page 138 of Everything She Wanted

I’m hungover, but I want to look around the room that I’ve wanted to see for so long. This isn’t what I had in mind when I’d imagined finally seeing it, but the universe works in mysterious ways.

It’s minimal yet cozy, featuring a neutral beige chair in the corner, a king-size bed, and a dresser off to one side. The windows have the same incredible view as the living room, I assume, but the blinds are drawn closed. A crack lets the bright sunlight in, so I know it must be late.

I glance at my phone and it’s almost 11 a.m. I get out of bed and see the clothes that I discarded so quickly last night lying nicely folded on the beige chair.

I get myself to the adjoining bathroom on wobbly legs, and there’s a towel, T-shirt, and pants laid out for me. They must be his sister’s, and I smile just thinking of her.

I slowly step into the steam shower, still woozy. I let myself linger as the hot water pours over me, washing away everything from last night, last week, and even the last month. I love being back here, even though I’m not sure what’s waiting for me on the other side of the door. Maybe I could just stay in this shower forever and not worry about anything again?

I quietly walk into the hallway and linger at the kitchen doorway, taking in the sight of Nick in joggers and a tight white shirt, with a tea towel thrown over his shoulder, as he makes breakfast. Making me breakfast. I want to engrave this memory in my mind.

“Hey, you’re up,” he says, giving me a soft smile. “I’m glad the clothes fit. Lucy mentioned you were the same size.”

I come and sit down at the counter stools, and I wonder what else Lucy has told him, but I don’t stress as much as I usually do. I’m not hiding anything anymore, even if it’s difficult.

“Breakfast smells amazing.”

He hands me a freshly squeezed orange juice and coffee with cream and sugar on the side, just how I like it.

I gulp down the juice.

“Thank you for this.” It doesn’t feel weird being here and eating breakfast with him even now, and I can’t seem to wrap my head around the fact that he always feels like exactly where I’m meant to be.

“Let’s go to the table.”

He moves the plates over while I take our coffees. We sit across from each other, and although I’m hungry, all I want to do is wrap my arms around him and never let him go. Instead, I bite into the salty bacon and eat the eggs in what’s probably world-record time. We sit in silence as we eat, and it’s fine. It’s more than fine.

I help him clear up, and I know it’s probably time for me to leave, but I can’t move away from him. I never could.

“Can you stay for a bit? Or if you need to leave, I can drop you off somewhere,” he says, much to my relief.

“I don’t have anywhere to be.” Breaking off an engagement and disappointing my entire family suddenly left my social calendar open all the time. Go figure.

“Come sit on the couch.”

He tops up my coffee, and we take our cups over there.

“Thank you for_”

“I just wanted to...”

We speak at the same time.

“You go first,” I tell him and take a sip of coffee.

He sets his cup down.

“Lucy messaged me on Wednesday morning saying she spent the day with you to try to make me jealous.”

I laugh.

“I just had to get away from everything here.”

“She said you were going through a bad breakup.”

Two actually.

“I guess I am.” I stare down at my cup, wishing it held the answers I needed within it.