“Are you certain?” She glanced over her shoulder, as if she could see through the walls. “Because you could use some things.”
I nodded. “Like a life, huh? Yeah, I know.”
“Phoebe,” Veronica said with affection in her voice, “I shouldn’t have mentioned it.”
“It’s kind of you to offer. Thanks for being in my corner.”
“You can always count on me. I just wish you didn’t have to go through this.”
“Yeah, so do I.”
Marshall and I had been together for six years. I met him in grad school, when he was just finishing his residency. Once he opened his own general practice office, he asked me to work as his office assistant. I was thrilled, although it was definitely not a good use for my accounting degree, but I’d wanted to build something together. But the years passed, and he didn’t propose. Last week, we were supposed to go on our most romantic trip yet, to Maui. We were celebrating our anniversary. I’d hoped he was going to take the hint and propose. Three weeks before we were supposed to leave, he said that he couldn’t be with me anymore.
I’d felt as if someone hit me in the face with a baseball bat. I left that very evening, packing all my clothes and fleeing from the apartment we’d shared. He didn’t even try to stop me.
“So, what’s the bad news?” Veronica asked with trepidation. “Is something wrong with the house?”
I shook my head. “Not exactly. Marshall is back in town.”
“He come back rested and tanned from the trip?” Veronica asked with a snort.
The trip had been prepaid, and we had zero chance of getting the money back. I wasn’t even mad that he still went on it. I didn’t have any energy left to be mad. Besides, it wasn’t as if I would have gone anyway.
That was the last thing on my mind. I’d been too busy figuring out a way to live and where to work.
“Something like that. He wants to meet with me,” I said.
Veronica snapped her head up. “Oh hell no. I hope you told him no.”
I sighed. “I didn’t.”
“Why not? Come on. You’re going to take a look at that guy and cry your eyes out again for weeks.”
“I don’t think I can cry any longer.” She scoffed, and I rolled my eyes at her. “Really! I have zero tears left. I promise. I’ve been trying to cry the past few evenings, and nothing comes out.”
“Fuck him. Why does he want to meet?”
“I’m assuming he wants to discuss the sale of this place. We’re both trapped making mortgage payments until we can get rid of it. And now he’s paying rent by himself for his apartment and?—”
“Please tell me you don’t feel sorry for him.”
I shook my head vehemently. “No. Honestly, not even one bit.”
He’d hurt me too much for that.
“I don’t love you anymore, Phoebe. I haven’t in a while. I can’t be with you anymore.”It was a day I’d never forget.
In hindsight, I could see red flags everywhere. We’d grownapart quite a bit. We were bickering more often, going to bed without touching each other. But I thought it might be just the stress of buying this place.
I’d been so damn wrong.
“Anyway, we haven’t had any inquiries. I’m sure we’ll have to lower the price.”
“Even your realtor said the price was too high. Marshall was the one who set it anyway. Why the hell does he have to talk to you? He should talk to the realtor.”
Veronica had lost her cool completely. I didn’t have the energy to be angry anymore. I simply felt drained and overwhelmed at the prospect of having to start over, not only on a personal level but on a professional one.
“How about I come with you?” she offered.
