I half-listened to my friends, but my mind was where it always was, on Sadie. I tried to convince myself that the pain I was feeling now was worth it. It was going to save me from devastation later. The problem with that theory was, I felt pretty fucking devastated now.
Before I knew it, Gloria was setting the bill down. I grabbed it. The least I could do after being a sullen asshole was pay for lunch. Neither of my friends protested my generosity.
As I walked out of the diner, my phone rang and my breath caught in my throat at the thought it might be Sadie. When I looked down, I saw that it was Mia. She’d slid into her new position with grace and ease. It was as if she’d always been meant to run the company.
I missed her, since she was no longer my shadow. My new assistant was good. I had no complaints; except he wasn’t Mia.
“I just got out of spin class. I talked to Charli.”
My heart slammed into my chest like a crash test dummy against a wall. “What’s wrong…Is Sadie—"
“Sadie’s fine, at home recovering.” Mia was quiet and I knew the reason that she was calling.
I hadn’t told her that Sadie and I broke up, but if I had to guess Charli had shared the news. I’d felt the need to explain myself to Maddox and Nick but I’d been avoiding telling Mia for some reason.
“She said that you two broke up.”
I still didn’t answer.
“What theactual fuck,Alex?”
I wasn’t sure if it was her new position or just that she’d never felt this strong about something before, but she’d never spoken to me that way.
“Is that all?” I was done with people making me feel like shit about this. No one, and I meanno one, could possibly understand what I was going through.
No onehad walked in my shoes and survived what I had survived.
Sono onehad the right to give an opinion.
“Sorry. Are you okay?” she asked, her tone softening.
“No,” I answered honestly.
“Do you need anything?”
Yes. Sadie.
“No.”
“I’m here if you do.”
“Thanks.”
After I hung up, I pulled up my calendar. Tyson, my new assistant had synced it to all of my devices. Mia used to tell me where to go and what I was doing every morning. She’d handled all of my scheduling and made sure I got to where I was going on time. Tyson wasn’t as hands-on. I’m sure he would be if that’s what I wanted, but I’d set up new systems with him.
My next meeting was at two p.m. I was meeting the flooring guy at the new house, but I decided to just shoot him a text and reschedule. I didn’t want to go to that house, the house that I’d seen a future in. The house that Sadie had whispered that she loved me while I’d been buried deep inside of her. It didn’t hold the same appeal that it once had.
I started walking aimlessly in the city and before I knew it, I ended up at the senior center. I walked in and Monica’s face lit up.
“How is Sadie? I heard that she got out of the hospital.”
“She’s home.” I felt my throat tighten as I answered with the information I’d received thirdhand.
The truth was I had no idea how Sadie was. Were her stitches itching? Was she having a hard time sleeping because she couldn’t lay on them and she could only sleep on her back? Was her head hurting?
I had no clue. And it was driving me crazy.
“Is Mr. Harris up and around?” I asked.
