Page 107 - It Ends with Us

I hav e a real ly good feeling ab out that man .

I smile and turn toward my car, but thro w a ha nd up to my ches t
and gasp when I see hi m.
Atlas is stand ing at the rea r of my car.
“Sorr y. Wasn’t trying to scare you.”
I blow out a brea th. “Wel l, you did.” I lea n agains t the car and Atlas
stays where he is, three feet away from me. He looks out at the street .

“So? Who ’s the lucky guy?”
“He’s . . .” My voice falters . Thi s is all so wei rd. My ches t is still
cons tricted and my stomach is flipping , and I can’t tel l if it’s lef tover
ner ves from kissing R yle or if it’s the pres enc e of Atlas. “His na me is
R yle. We met about a yea r ago.”
I ins tantly reg ret saying we met tha t long ago. It makes it sound like
R yle and I ha ve been dating tha t long and we aren’ t ev en offic ially

dating . “Wha t about you? Married ? Have a girlfriend ?”
I’m no t sure if I’m asking to extend the conv ers ation he started , or
if I’m genu inel y curious.
“I do, actually. Her na me is Cassie. We’v e been toget her almost a
yea r no w.”
Hea rtburn. I thi nk I ha ve hea rtburn. A year ? I place my ha nd on my

ches t and no d. “Tha t’s good. You seem ha ppy.”
Does he seem hap py? I ha ve no idea .
“Yea h. Wel l . . . I’m rea lly glad I got to see you, Lily.” He turns
around to walk away, but then spins and faces me again, hi s ha nd s
sho ved in hi s back pocket s. “I will say . . . I kind of wish thi s could
ha ve ha ppened a yea r ago.”
I wince at hi s words, trying no t to let them penet rate. He turns and

walks back toward the res taurant .
I fumble with my key s and hi t the button to unl ock the car. I slide
in and pull the door shu t, gripping the steeri ng wheel . For wha tev er
rea son, a hu ge tea r falls down my cheek . A hu ge, pathet ic, wha t-the-
hel l-is-thi s-wet nes s tea r. I swipe at it and push the button to start my
car.

I didn’t ex pec t to feel thi s much hu rt after seei ng hi m.
But it’s good. Thi s ha ppened for a rea son. My hea rt need ed
closure so I can give it to R yle, but maybe I couldn’t do tha t unt il thi s
ha ppened .