ChapterSeven
JUNI
I’m hiding under the covers in my bedroom.
I don’t need to be back at work until tomorrow. But right now I don’t know if I can ever go back to work.
How will I stand seeing Ivar every single day, remembering what happened, watching him with his clients and then go back to normal? It’s been hard enough being in love with him all these years.
But now, he’s had a one night stand and I’ve experienced the night of my life. A night which meant so much more to me than it did to him.
And to top off this complete and utter shitshow, I’ve lost my cell phone.
My roommate April knocks on the door. She saw my face when I came in and gave me a hug. We got drunk once and I told her I had an unrequited crush on someone. I wonder if she’s put two and two together, and worked out it’s Ivar.
“Yes?” I snuffle, wiping the tears from my swollen eyes. She pushes the door open with her foot and brings me a cup of coffee.
“Juni, drink this. I put some extra sugar in it. You look like you need it.” She hands me a steaming coffee cup.
I sit up and cradle it in my hands, staring into the brown liquid.
She sits on the edge of the bed. “I know you want some privacy, but are you okay? I mean, I know you’re not okay…”
I take a sip. My throat is dry and it feels good. “Bust up with Ivar. And I lost my phone.”
“You guys had an argument?” She rests her hand on my knee. She’s a massage therapist, so at any moment I expect her to start sympathetically rubbing me.
“Worse. Are you ready for the damage? We pretended to be fake engaged to get some business for the gym. I got all dressed up and we kissed, then slow-danced. Then we went back to the hotel and there was only one bed…” I trail off.
“Woah. Juni! Ivar ishot. Why aren’t you stoked? I would be.” Her eyes are round.
“Because I woke up this morning in an empty bed. He was gone. So I’ve screwed up our friendship. And while it might just be an awkward one night stand to him, it means so much more to me. I love him, April.” I look down at my coffee again.
“Oh, Juni. I’m sorry.” She squeezes my knee. “Do you want a foot rub?”
I can’t help a small grin. “Maybe later. Thanks, I need some alone time. I’ll try and get some sleep.”
After April’s left for work, I get up and wash my hair, changing into some sweats and lying on the sofa. It’s like I have no energy left and my bones are sore. This must be what heartbreak feels like. I close all the curtains and sit in the dark, even though it’s sunny and warm outside.
I stare at a romantic movie on the TV. I don’t want to watch people falling in love but at the same time I’m helpless to change the channel because I’ve misplaced the remote.
There’s a rattling noise at the door.
Burglars? I get up and stand on the sofa holding a pillow. It’s the only weapon I have.
A tall, broad-shouldered male figure comes in and I throw the pillow as hard as I can at him. It bounces off and he rubs his head.
“Ivar? What are you doing in my house?” I sink down onto the sofa.
“Juni, you dork. I have a spare set of your house keys. I also have your cell phone. So I came to find you.” He walks over and sits next to me.
I’m annoyed. “You came to find me? After leaving me alone this morning? Had second thoughts? That was a shitty thing to do.”
He tosses me my phone. “Look at your texts.”
I scroll through them as it slowly dawns on me; he went to meet Lucas for breakfast. And he wanted me to stay and wait for him, naked.
I keep staring at the screen. “How did your meeting go?”
