“I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” Sarah returned to the table and picked up her coffee. “Tell me more about what Derek’s doing. I need to focus on getting my job back and protecting the people who are being punished because of me. That’s what matters right now.”
They sat in silence for a moment.
“Call Stavros,” Carlos said, standing. “Protect your people. Figure out your next move. But don’t make decisions about Lizzie when you’re still angry and hurt. Give it time.”
“There’s nothing to decide. It’s done.”
“If you say so.” He squeezed her shoulder.
After they left, Sarah sat at the table with her cold coffee and stared at her phone.
She pulled up Lizzie’s contact. She hadn’t looked at the messages she’d sent and muted notifications. Now, she couldn’t help herself. She looked.
I’m sorry. I love you.
Three days ago. Sarah hadn’t responded.
Please talk to me.
Five days ago.
I know you’re angry but please let me explain.
Six days ago.
Sarah blocked the number.
It was better this way. Better for Lizzie to move on. Better for both of them.
She set the phone down and opened her laptop. She had work to do. Stavros to call. A lawsuit to fight. A job to win back.
Lizzie would be fine. She was young and resilient and talented. She’d finish school, become a writer, meet someone who could give her the kind of life she deserved.
Someone who wasn’t Sarah.
That was the right thing. The only thing.
Even if it felt like her heart was breaking all over again.
Chapter 28
Lizzie
The apartment was loud. Henry and Jack were playing some game that involved a lot of yelling and the occasional thud against the wall that their mother would yell about later. Lizzie sat at the kitchen table with her laptop open, staring at a blank document that was supposed to be a short story for her Fiction II class.
She’d written three sentences in an hour. All of them were terrible.
Her phone buzzed. Chrisla.
Derek cut my hours in half. Maria’s too. Anyone who was loyal to Sarah is getting punished.
Lizzie stared at the message. She stared at it, wanting to respond but being unable to muster the words. Key West felt so far away and yet ever present.
I’m so sorry. I wish I could help.
She wanted to but there was nothing she could do but send messages. She tried to stay off social media. It wasn’t like Sarah’s scandal was a nationwide story but there were some mentions of it on social media and she was getting tagged in many of them. She could barely imagine what it would be like to go back to school next week.
She’d already picked up shifts at the bakery. It felt like a whole different world. Like the past few weeks hadn’t happenedat all. Except they had. And she couldn’t stop thinking about them.
