“I’m sorry?”
Leyla shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut as if thoughts were flying around in her brain like moths and she needed them to stop.
“Two days ago, I got a call from a producer out in California. There’s a Netflix series. I did the pilot, and the execs just ordered a whole first season. I’ve waited my whole life for this kind of an opportunity, you understand?”
I shrugged. “I guess?”
“Believe me, I have. I decided I was going to go, and I was trying to work up my nerve to tell Matt. I bought a plane ticket and everything.”
“Okay,” I offered.
“But then yesterday, Matt woke up and was having a stroke.”
The thought of it turned my stomach. “Is he okay? How bad was the stroke?”
“He’s in the hospital. It was scary, but I guess it sort of passed quickly? He can still talk and walk and do normal stuff. But theyhave to do a million tests on him, and my flight leaves the day after tomorrow.”
Relief washed over me.He’s okay.“When you say you’re leaving him, do you mean for good?” I wondered.
“Yeah.” Leyla sighed. “Listen, I’ve got to level with you. Matt’s a good guy. He’s been a good dad, and we’ve done the best we can. But it’s notliving, you know what I mean? I havedreams.”
I know exactly what you mean.Once upon a time, being with Mattwasmy dream.“What about your daughter?”
“Brett? She’s amazing.”
“And you’re just planning to leave her?”
“Well, she’s got school, so I figured she’d stay behind with Matt while I get settled out there, and then maybe I could bring her over for the next school year if it all works out.”
“But he’s in the hospital.”
“I know. That’s what I’m saying. It all would have been fine, but then this happened. That’s why I need you.”
“I’m sorry.” I shook my head. “I really don’t understand.”
“He still has a thing for you. There’s a shoebox in his closet. It’s been there forever. I’ve gone through it; it’s all these old pictures and letters and things from your time together. Also, I check his phone pretty often. You come up in the Google search history at least once a month.”
Wow. Certainly sounds like a toxic relationship.“That doesn’t mean anything. People keep tabs on old friends,” I said, but even to my own ears, it sounded like a lie.
“You haven’t spoken to him since that summer?” Leyla asked.
“No,” I said.
“Why not?”
“It’s complicated,” I replied. But it wasn’t, really.
“Well, I suspect that he’d be very happy if you reappeared in his life, especially now,” Leyla said.
“What makes you say that?” I asked.
“I just think it would soften the blow, you know? Listen, I’m in acting. Every story has a villain. I’m fine playing that part. I just need to be able to leave in two days. I’ll come back for Brett. That’s my girl.”
“If you’re the villain, then what would that make me?”
“Are you kidding? You’d be the hero—swooping back in when Matt needs you the most. It’s a win-win.”
“Nothing about this feels like a win to me,” I said.
