Page 185 - It Ends with Us

Chapter Twenty

I tried salvaging my pho ne before I fel l asleep last ni ght , but it was no
use. It was in two complet el y sep arate piec es . I set my alarm so I could
get up ea rly and stop and get a new one on my way in to work today.
My face does n’t look as bad as I fea red it would. Of course, it’s no t

somet hi ng I could hi de from Allysa, but I’m no t ev en going to try and
do tha t. I part my ha ir to the side to cover up most of the band age
R yle ha d placed over my ey e. The onl y thi ng visible from last ni ght is
the cut on my lip.
And the hi ckey he gave me on my nec k.

Fucking irony at its best.
I grab my purse and open the front door. I stop sho rt when I see
the lump at my feet .
It moves .
It’s sev era l sec ond s bef ore I rea lize tha t lump is actually R yle. He
slept out he re?
He pulls hi mself to hi s feet as soon as he rea lizes I’ve opened the

door. He’s in front of me, plea ding ey es , gent le ha nd s on my cheek s.
Lips on my mouth. “I’m sorr y, I’m sorr y, I’m sorr y.”
I pull back and scroll my ey es over hi m. He slept out he re?
I step out of my apartment and pull my door shu t. I calmly walk
past hi m and down the stairs. He follows me the ent ire way to my car,
beg ging me to talk to hi m.

I don’t.
I lea ve.

• • •

It’s an hour later when I ha ve a new pho ne in my ha nd s. I’m sitting in
my car at the cel l pho ne store when I turn it on. I watch the screen as
sev ent een mes sages appea r. All from Allysa.