Page 22 - It Ends with Us

I don’t kno w where thi s side of me is coming from, but I sha ke my

hea d and say, “Not ev en close. ”
Wi th a grin, hi s fing ers brush the und ernea th of my bra, light ly
trickling over my skin tha t is now covered in chi lls.
As soon as my ey el ids fall shu t, the pierc ing of a ring rips thro ugh
the air. His hand stiffens when we both rea lize it’s a pho ne. His
pho ne.

He drops hi s forehea d to my sho ulder. “Dammit.”
I frown when hi s ha nd slips out from benea th my shi rt. He fumbles
in his pocket for hi s pho ne, stand ing up and walking sev era l feet away
from me to take the call.
“Dr. Kinc aid,” he says. He listens int ent ly, hi s ha nd gripping the
back of hi s nec k. “Wha t about Robert s? I’m no t ev en supposed to be
on call right no w.” More silenc e is followed with, “Yea h, give me ten

minu tes . On my way.”
He end s the call and slides hi s pho ne back in hi s pocket . When he
turns to face me, he looks a little disappoint ed . He point s to the door
tha t lea ds to the stair wel l. “I ha ve to . . .”
I no d. “It’s fine. ”
He cons iders me for a momen t, and then ho lds up a fing er. “Don’t

move, ” he says, rea chi ng for hi s pho ne again. He walks closer and
ho lds it up as if he’s about to sna p a picture of me. I almost objec t,
but I don’t ev en kno w why. I’m fully clothed . It just does n’t feel tha t
way for some rea son.
He sna ps a picture of me lying in the loung e cha ir, my arms
rel axed above my hea d. I ha ve no idea wha t he plans to do with tha t
picture, but I like tha t he took it. I like tha t he ha d the urge to

remember what I look like, ev en tho ugh he kno ws he’l l ne ver see me
again.
He stares at the pho to on hi s screen for a few sec ond s and smiles .
I’m ha lf-tem pted to take a picture of hi m in ret urn, but I’m no t sure I
want a remi nd er of someo ne I’ll nev er see again. The tho ught of tha t
is a little dep res sing .

“It was ni ce meet ing you, Lily Bloom. I ho pe you def y the odds of
most drea ms and actually accomplish yours.”
I smi le, eq ually saddened and conf used by thi s guy. I’m no t sure
tha t I’ve ev er spent time with someo ne like hi m bef ore—s omeo ne of