Page 123 - In Five Years

Chapter Twenty-One

Bella will not return my calls or texts, so finally, on Saturday night, I dial Aaron.
He picks up on the second ring. “Dannie,” he says. He’s whispering. “Hey.”
“Yeah. Hi.”

I’m in the bedroom of our apartment, my bandaged feet kneading the soft
carpet. “Is Bella there?”
There’s a pause on the other end of the line.

“Come on, Aaron. She won’t return my phone calls.”
“She’s actually sleeping,” he says.
“Oh.” It’s barely 8 p.m.

“What are you doing?”
I look down at my sweatpants. “Nothing,” I say. “I should probably get back
to work. Will you tell her I called?”

“Yeah, of course,” he says.
All at once I feel irrationally angry. Aaron, this stranger. This man, who she

has known for less than four months, is the one in her apartment. He’s the one
she’s turning to. He doesn’t even know her. And me, her best friend, her family
—
“She needs to call me,” I say. My tone has changed. It bears the fire of my

thumping thoughts.
“I know,” Aaron says. His voice is low. “It’s just been—”

“I don’t care what it has been. With all due respect, I don’t know you. My
best friend needs surgery on Tuesday. She needs to call me.”
Aaron clears his throat. “Do you want to take a walk?” he asks me.
“What?”