Page 231 - It Ends with Us

Chapter Twenty-Eight

After R yle lef t me hi s key s thi s afterno on; I deb ated going back to our
new apartment . I ev en ha d a cab pull up to the building , but I
couldn’t force mysel f out of the car. I knew if I went back there today,
I’d probably see Allysa at some point . I’m no t rea dy to ex plain the

stitches on my forehea d to her. I’m no t rea dy to see the kitchen where
R yle’s harsh words cut thro ugh me. I’m no t rea dy to walk int o the
bed room where I was complet el y des troyed .
So ins tea d of ret urni ng to my own ho me, I took the cab back to
Atlas’s ho use. It feel s like my onl y safe zone right no w. I don’t ha ve to

conf ront thi ng s when I’m hi ding out here.
Atlas ha s alrea dy tex ted me twice today chec king on me, so when I
get a tex t a few minu tes bef ore sev en o’clock in the ev eni ng , I assume
it’s from hi m. It’s no t; it’s from Allysa.
Allysa: You home from work yet? Come up and visit us, I’m already bored.
My hea rt sink s when I rea d her tex t. She ha s no idea wha t
ha ppened bet ween me and R yle. I wond er if R yle ev en told her he lef t

for Eng land today. My thu mb types and era ses and types some more
as I try to come up with a good ex cuse as to why I’m no t the re.
Me: I can’t. I’m in the emergency room. Hit my head on that shelf in the
storage room at work. Getting stitches.

I ha te that I lied to her, but it’ll save me from ha ving to ex plain the
cut and also why I’m no t ho me right no w.
Allysa: Oh no! Are you alone? Marshall can come sit with you since Ryle is
gone.
Okay, so she kno ws R yle lef t for Eng land . Tha t’s good. And she
thi nk s we’re fine. Thi s is good. Tha t mea ns I ha ve at lea st three

mont hs bef ore I ha ve to tel l her the truth.
Lo ok at me, sweeping shi t unde r the rug just like my mothe r.
Me: No, I’m fin e. I’ll be fin ished up by the time Marshall could even get here.
I’ll come by tomorrow after work. Give Rylee a kiss for me.