Chapter 38
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Private Message | EchoZone Internal Chat
From: AlyEuphoriaEvents
To: MustLoveMusic
Date: February 27, 2001 7:18 AM
Subject: Re: Are you there?
I wasn’t going to respond.
Then I opened this window, stared at the blinking cursor for ten minutes, and realized that not replying might hurt more.
I’m home. It’s raining. Seattle’s pretending to be fine while I’m pretending not to keep checking the phone.
It feels strange, doesn’t it?
That only days ago, it was sunlight and music and mangoes, and now it’s deadlines and news anchors saying your name like it’s theirs to own. I saw the headlines, Dex. I turned the TV off before they could play the footage.
I don’t know what’s true.
But I know you.
That’s enough for me.
I miss you, too.
Though I’m not sure we’re supposed to say that yet.
—A