Styx #5

Telling myself and being able to move on were two different things, though.

It took fifteen minutes of making myself face facts before my feet unglued from the floor.

After I packed my bag, I did a sweep to ensure I hadn’t missed anything, and headed out.

When I exited the elevator, Aaron was nowhere to be found.

A nice woman was at the desk to take my key card. She nodded as I stood there like an idiot, wishing I had one more chance to see a sympathetic face.

Okay. Time to go.

I headed out into the brilliant sunshine and put my glasses on. Yesterday’s rainstorm was a thing of the past, and now I had to move on.

Tracking down Baxter—even if he didn’t want to be found—made the most sense. Yeah, but if he doesn’t want to be found…

Hitching a ride to Vancouver seemed less painful.

Probably could’ve asked Aaron if you might stay until Monday when the commuter train leaves.

Yeah. But I didn’t have the guts. And I wasn’t Aaron’s problem.

You could go back to The Owl’s Nest and finish that book on Mission City history. That idea had merit. And if Dickens offered the apartment above his shop for a night or two, that would be okay as well.

Decision made, I plastered a smile on my face and headed off into the bright morning.

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