1. Henley #2
Babe? Hell . . . what did I just walk into?
Sweat started beading down my back as his arm curved around Sadie’s waist, pulling her into him. Still oblivious that I was standing in the doorway, he kissed the side of her neck. I glared at the crumpled-up ball of black lace in his palm.
Sadie’s eyes fluttered closed as every part of me ignited with rage.
“Morning, Carson,” I drawled, watching with fury as he suddenly became aware of my presence.
“Henley—” he gasped, his gaze bouncing from Sadie’s to mine. “I-I can explain!”
He stormed forward, bumping Sadie aside to the wall beside her.
With a huff, she pushed him back. Her scowl deepened as she shoved through us into the hallway.
Before she reached the elevator, she turned to face me.
An emotion that looked on the verge of remorse creased her forehead, replacing her frown.
“Henley, I think we both know it’s best if you start looking for another job.
Leave your keys with Carson. He’ll drop them by my place tomorrow.
” The elevator doors opened wide and one of our neighbors exited.
Spinning abruptly in her Louis Vuittons, Sadie escaped into the elevator just before the door closed, leaving behind just me and the man who was about ten seconds away from having an appendage julienned and seared to a crisp.
“Henny-pie,” Carson cooed softly. The stupid nickname made me wince. His palm wrapped around my arm, and my skin burned.
“Don’t. You. Dare. Touch. Me.” I hissed, spitting out each word with enough venom he should have been lying on the floor convulsing.
Instead, his mouth gaped open and shut, looking like a damn floundering fish. I shoved him aside and made my way into the apartment. As I made my way into our bedroom to grab my suitcases, footsteps thundered down the hallway behind me.
The golden glow of my salt lamp illuminated the hunter green satin sheets I’d picked out for us when I moved in.
Once pristine, they now lay crumpled and astray, further evidence of what had transpired here tonight.
With a shudder, I pushed forward to the back of the closet.
Clawing my large floral suitcase and carry-on from the back, I hauled them into the bedroom and tossed them open onto the bed.
Frantically, I began shoving as many of my belongings as I could into them.
What was I going to do? Panic crawled into my chest, crushing it with the weight of all my fears. Normally, I was exploding with emotions on a regular basis. Now all I felt was numb. Empty.
“Henley, stop.” Carson spoke calmly beside me, pulling on a shirt and mussing his sex-induced hair. “Come on, where do you think you’re going to go? It’s almost two in the morning, babe. Sit down, and let’s talk about this.”
The laugh that passed through my lips was mirthless. If anything, it was a tinge maniacal.
“What is there left to talk about? You’ve been having an affair. And not with just anyone, Carson. No, you’ve been screwing my boss!” I paused, my chest rising and falling and rage thrumming like fire through me. “How long.”
It wasn’t a question, more of a demand.
“Babe, it was only—”
“How fucking long, Carson?”
One hand curled into a fist while the other pulled at the roots of his hair.
“Two years,” he whispered like a coward. Too damn chicken to say it out loud.
In all my life I had never felt so much anger pulsing through my body. Furious that my job blew up in flames because of it. But mostly, I was enraged at myself for not seeing what had been going on right in front of me for so long.
“She was my mentor. Not only have you broken our relationship, but you’ve destroyed my career all in one night!” I seethed.
“Don’t be so dramatic. This is what you do, you always blow things out of proportion.
I was going to end it tonight, I promise.
I’ve just been a little lonely lately, and you haven’t exactly been in the mood.
In fact, you have been in the mood for years.
Haven’t I taken care of you, Henny? Showered you with everything you could ever want?
Is it so hard to believe that I want someone who would do the same thing for me?
Someone who will choose me first over everything? ”
My fists clenched the clothes dangling in my hands, the fury bubbling to the surface, searing my cheeks.
“You’ll be able to find another job. Restaurants are hiring all the time. In fact, I think Paul in HR mentioned something about us needing a new line cook in the cafeteria. I could put in a good word—”
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
My entire body trembled. Every emotion collided into each other the longer this conversation went on. I was a ticking time bomb close to combusting.
“Henny?”
“No, Carson, I do not want you to put in a ‘good word’ for me. In fact, you no longer need to do anything else for me. You are free of your burden. I think you and I both know that this has been over for a while. Tonight is just the final spark I needed to realize that I should have ended this a long time ago. I’m done. We’re over. I’m leaving.”
I held his shocked expression for a moment before I let it drop to continue shoving my possessions into suitcases.
“Henny.” He followed me back and forth as I went around the house trying to collect as many things as possible. “Seriously, where are you going to go at this hour? You don’t have any friends!”
My feet halted abruptly. Taking my time to turn, I made sure my glare was sharp enough to leave a bite.
When his eyebrows flew to his forehead, I knew they met their mark.
Storming back into the bedroom, I shoved the last remaining items I grabbed into the suitcases and vigorously zipped them shut.
Shoving them onto the floor, I rolled them toward the front door.
He was right.
I had no one here.
Between culinary school, working in the restaurant, all the outings, and our relationship, I never truly had a chance to build lasting friendships. My friends were his. This apartment was his. But my identity would no longer be his.
Sighing deeply, I knew there was only one option. Home.
Back to California.
The wheels of the suitcases rattled against the wooden floor, filling the silence that clouded the apartment. Just as I reached the door, I felt the weight of his hand on my shoulder.
“Babe, we can work through this. We always do,” he pled, rubbing circles on my back. Sliding away from his touch, I opened the door wide and stepped into the hall. Before I closed it, I turned and faced him one final time.
“I no longer have the energy to keep trying to fix what was already broken to begin with.”
I fight back tears as I refocus on the deep voice over the intercom.
“Group A, Flight 744 to Sacramento now boarding.”
Gathering my bag and carry-on, I leisurely walk to the gate.
I glance out the terminal window, the ache in my chest growing sharper.
Skyscrapers illuminate the night, glimmering against the glass.
The city that helped me achieve my lifelong goals.
The city where I’d hoped to build my future. All in one breath, it fades away.
Suddenly, the lights staring back at me don’t look as full of life as they once did. It’s time to go back to reality and stop living my life in the clouds.
See you soon, Oakley Falls.