Page 238 - It Ends with Us

just gave me. I pick up my firs t two cards when Atlas walks back int o

the room.
“Hey, Atlas,” Jimmy says. “Who the hel l is Cassie and ho w come
we’v e nev er hea rd you talk about her?”
Oh, shi t.
I’m complet el y mortified . I tight en my grip around the cards in my
ha nd s and try to avoid looking up at Atlas, but the room grows so

quiet , it would be more obvious if I di dn ’t look at hi m.
He’s staring at Jimmy. Jimmy is staring at hi m. Brad and Darin are
staring at me.
Atlas folds hi s lips toget her for a moment and then says, “There is
no Cassie. ” His ey es meet mine, but onl y for a brief sec ond . But in
tha t brief sec ond , I can see it written all over hi s face.
There nev er was a Cassie.

He lied to me.
Atlas clea rs hi s thro at and then says, “Listen, guys. I sho uld ha ve
canc el led toni ght . Thi s week ha s been kind of . . .” He rubs hi s ha nd
over hi s mouth and Jimmy stand s up.
He squeez es Atlas on the sho ulder and says, “Nex t week . My place. ”
Atlas no ds apprec iativel y. The three of them beg in to gather thei r

cards and poker chi ps. Brad pries my cards from my fing ers
apologet ically bec ause I’m unable to move as I clutch them tight ly.
“It was lovel y meet ing you, Lily,” Brad says. I someho w find the
streng th to smile and stand up. I give them all hu gs goodbye and after
the front door closes behi nd them , it’s just me and Atlas in the room.
And no Cas sie.
Cassie’s nev er ev en been in thi s room, bec ause Cassie does n’t ex ist.

What the he ll?
Atlas ha sn’t moved from hi s spot nea r the table. Nei ther ha ve I.
He’s stand ing firm with hi s arms folded across hi s ches t. His hea d is
slight ly tilted down but hi s ey es are boring int o me from across the
table.
Why would he lie to me?

R yle and I weren’ t ev en an offic ial couple yet when I ran int o Atlas
at that res taurant the firs t time. Hel l, if Atlas ha d given me any rea son
to bel ieve there was a cha nc e bet ween us tha t ni ght , I kno w witho ut a