Chapter 33 #2
Ani let out a small smile, despite her nerves not being assuaged in the least.
Kami took a dramatic, audible breath on the other end.
“I want to say I’m sorry for, for…I don’t know.
Treating you like a best friend or someone to flirt with, or like nothing was wrong.
I honestly didn’t know how hard the breakup hurt you.
I should have, but I didn’t, and that’s on me.
I know I can’t undo that, but—” she exhaled, her voice quieter now, more hesitant.
“I’m sorry anyway. And look, we don’t have to be friends.
I get it now. I wanted you to know that. ”
There was a beat of silence, like she was bracing herself for Ani’s reaction.
She took a moment to let Kami’s words settle. Ani had already felt lighter after she confronted Kami, but things had been awkward between them ever since. Hearing Kami say all this now? She felt a knot inside her loosen.
“I appreciate that,” Ani said, her voice steady but softer than before. “I really do. And honestly? I feel better now. Just having this conversation, knowing you see it—helps.” She hesitated, not wanting to overpromise anything. “We don’t have to be best buds. But…who knows what the future holds?”
There was a pause on the other end, then Kami let out a small relieved laugh. “Yeah. Maybe the four of us could even go on double dates together!”
Ani was too surprised to mask her voice. “What do you mean, ‘double’?”
Now she could hear Kami’s sly smile over the phone. “Oh, you know exactly what I mean. This is how I figured it out—one sec. I got these sneak peeks from the photographers—”
A message dinged from Kami.
A photo.
It was in black and white, her and Raffi dancing in near darkness under the single bulb. It captured both their faces. Hers nuzzled into Raffi’s chest and him looking down at her protectively.
Ani’s breath hitched. It was one of the most incredible things she’d ever seen. And one of the most painful.
The photographer must have been snapping them silently before the flash went off, during their argument. So it hadn’t been a reporter. She’d run away for no reason.
Ani was barely able to speak, but luckily, Kami did for her. “So that’s who you meant by ‘my boyfriend.’ ” Kami’s voice practically crackled with excitement through the phone. “I love this for you, by the way. I totally see it.”
She could hear the grin in Kami’s voice, the sheer delight radiating through the speaker, even while Ani’s heart was breaking.
“And let’s just take a moment to appreciate,” Kami continued, undeterred by Ani’s silence, “that my wedding is the reason this happened.”
Ani let out a noise between a wheeze and a groan. “Kami—”
But Kami gasped dramatically, cutting her off. “Hey! So it’s a good thing I broke up with you two!” She burst into giggles, completely pleased with herself.
Despite Kami being Kami, Ani wasn’t upset with her. She gave a sad little laugh through the phone. Then Kami recovered herself. “Okay, okay, Grace is giving me a look. But before I go—Ani, seriously. Thank you for the best wedding in the universe. Pure, utter perfection.”
Ani’s throat tightened just a little. “You’re welcome, Kami.”
They hung up, and the room was quiet.
Ani glanced down at her phone, then kept staring. She couldn’t look away from the photo.
It felt unreal, seeing them together. She ran her thumb over the screen, as if that might make the moment tangible again, might let her slip back into it.
And suddenly, she could feel it. Exactly what it felt like to be in his arms, the steady rise and fall of his chest, how safe and loved he made her feel.
Her breath caught, and regret curled deep in her stomach. She cursed herself for letting her insecurities eat her alive and ruin this thing with Raffi. Let them whisper that she wasn’t enough, that he would eventually see all the ways she fell short. That this—they—couldn’t possibly last.
But it was real, and she didn’t want to let it go.
She had to try. He never told her not to talk to him again. So screw it, she had to try.
There was no time for texting. She’d already had two good calls today; maybe the third would be extra lucky.
Ani tapped to his name in her favorites and pressed call.
She waited for the ringing to start, but instead, it went straight to voicemail. Oh no. Was there no service? Maybe she had no service.
She waited a few seconds, then tried again. Straight to voicemail.
She texted him. Hey. Just to check, because she had a bad feeling about it. The text, which normally showed up as blue, showed up green.
He’d blocked her. No. He’d…blocked her?
The pain in her chest seemed more expansive than anything she’d felt. Her eyelids were heavy, all her limbs leaden with heartbreak. She couldn’t move. He had really meant it. He said if she left him, then that was it, and he’d followed through.
But then, what had been real? She could have sworn he was in it for the long run. Was he so afraid of being hurt that he’d rather block her and never speak to her again than try to talk and work things out? It didn’t seem right. But then, her phone didn’t lie.
She realized none of it—the success, the weddings, the esteem—meant nearly as much to her now without him. She needed him. And he wanted nothing to do with her.
Then, she felt the tears begin, and this time, she could not stop them.