Chapter 42
Kjell
Yawning, I enter the kitchen and switch on the coffee maker.
What a night.
I lean against the countertop, fill the water tank, and try my hardest to keep my eyes open.
Somewhere, a phone is ringing.
My phone.
I find it on the coffee table, Jakob's photo grinning at me from the display.
I quickly answer the call. "You're up early," I say after a brief greeting.
"It's ten o'clock," he responds, laughing, then clears his throat. "Thanks for the article. It's..."
"Pretty bold?" I try to provide the words I would use.
Once the dam broke yesterday, nothing held me back. With each word, I let my disappointment run more freely.
That’s probably why I feel like I've been in a boxing match today.
Everything about me is heavy. I feel wounded, but these wounds will heal.
They have to.
"Are you sure you want to publish it?" Jakob asks seriously.
Shouldn't there be a hint of pride in his voice?
Confused, I trudge to the kitchenette and grab a cup from the cabinet. "Isn't it exactly what you wanted?"
There's a moment of silence on the line. Why is he taking so long to respond?
"Yes, it is. But... did the little one hurt you a lot?" Jakob's tone is full of caution.
"Oh, come on, the article isn't that bad." Okay, I called hera pretty puppet who doesn't see the strings on her arms and legs once. But everything else is professional reporting, nothing more and nothing less. "Besides, every word is true, and that's what matters, right?"
"True," Jakob responds from the other end of the line. "And we'll print it exactly as you want, if that's your choice. Still, I'm interested—as your friend."
The coffee machine hums, the first dark drops moisten the innocent white porcelain. "It's water under the bridge, not worth mentioning," I say, wishing more than anything to finally feel that way too.
"But that's not how your article reads." Jakob sounds like he's worried about me.
A heavy sigh escapes my lips. This has to stop. I drew a line yesterday, and starting today, I want to be myself again. Pouring my heart out to Jakob won't change anything. On the contrary, it would only bring up a pain I no longer want to feel. "It is what it is, and that's it."
"You'll never change, will you?"
My cup fills slowly. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You've never been interested in thewhy," Jakob says.
"No. She was never interested in thewhy," I counter. "She didn't give me a chance to explain everything to her. Instead, she drew her own conclusions and shut me down cold."
I didn't want to think about Sky anymore, but she's already back in my mind. Her venomous gaze, her closed-off posture—everything about her screams inaccessibility, blind fury, and retribution.
