Guilford spins around in his chair in the theater office, eyebrows rising as he sees the crowd with me, its ringleader. “What’s this?”
“I wanted to tell all of you at once, because you all mean so much to me. I can’t possibly scratch the surface of how grateful I am to know you. Guilford, thank you for offering me the lead.” This news sends titters throughout the other cast members. I raise my voice to regain their attention. “But I have to turn it down. I’m in love with a girl back in America. I can’t ignore that anymore. And I can’t let her ignore it, either.”
Guilford stands up, his stance indignant. “You are giving up the opportunity of a lifetime for love?”
I cock an eyebrow and smirk, “Love is the opportunity of a lifetime.”
My fellow cast breaks out in cheers and as I make my way through the throng, I hug every single fucking one of them. Tears aren’t held back. Smiles aren’t either. Even Guilford finally has one on his face as he shouts after me through cupped hands, “This is the exit of a star, Logan!”
I lock eyes with Ines as she hugs her robe to her, standing far back from the crowd.
She shakes her head.
I nod mine once, silently communicating that she was right all along. My heart belonged to someone else. “I’m sorry.”
She waves with sad eyes, and I read her lips saying, “Just go.”
Johan and Terrence walk out with me, both insisting I promise I’ll talk to them often. “You did it for her!”
I hug them before I jump into a cab that stops the second I raise my hand. “When I say I promise I’m going to keep in touch, you guys know I mean it.”
They grin as I close the door. The cab pulls away from the curb and my friends who’ve been through so much with me, hit its trunk, and start running on either side. Terrence does a split-leap and nearly runs into a lamp post. We all crackup as the cab increases its speed and merges with traffic, leaving them behind.
I dial Samantha, and after two rings she answers, “This is a surprise, Logan. It’s Sunday.”
“What are you doing right now?”
“Packing. You got me worried.”
“What are you packing for?”
“Logan, you’ve never called me on any day other than a Monday for almost two years.”
“Are you going on vacation? Just away for the weekend, or for a long time, or what?”
There’s an uncomfortably long pause before she says, “I told you Steven wanted me to move in with him.”
My chest explodes, and it gets worse as I hear Lexi in the background saying, “I didn’t realize how much stuff you had!”
Hoarse and urgent, I shout, “Samantha, don’t do anything until I get there. Just stay right where you are!”
“What? Wait, are you in Georgia?”
“I’m in Hong Kong.” Rubbing my forehead at how long these flights take to get me from here to her, I say, “Remember when you asked me to promise to call you every Monday? And I didn’t want to? But I did it.”
She’s confused and quiet. “Yes.”
“I’m asking something of you now. Don’t move in with this guy yet. I’m coming back to Atlanta because I want to say something to you. Wait for me.”
“You’re flying back here to say something to me?”
“Wait for me,” I repeat. “Samantha, promise me. Promise you’ll wait!”
Lexi begins to say something, but Sam hushes her and returns to the phone. “I’ll wait.”
My heart is pounding as I nod and realize she can’t see me nodding, but my throat feels strangled so it takes me a second to choke out, “I’ll see you Monday.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
LOGAN
Monday
With the travel and time-zone difference, jet lag owns me. I brushed my teeth on the plane, and called for a car the moment I got off of it, grateful the driver is the quiet type.
Johan said he’d ship my things. I’ve got the leather bag I left the theater with, and that’s it.
If this driver was rattling away it would sap what’s left of my energy. How the fuck am I going to talk my best friend out of the relationship she’s in?
It’s probably not appropriate, but I’m ready to fight the guy if I need to. I’m going to proclaim my love for her right in his living room if that’s what it takes.
I texted her to say that we landed, asked where I can find her.
Rubbing my temple, with my elbow rested on the window frame, I close my eyes. There’s no way that Samantha would hurt this guy by leaving him for me right in front of his face, in his own home. I know her better than that.
What the fuck am I doing?
This will be a disaster.
I can’t go through with it.
Do I have a death wish?
Have I forgotten how painful it was the last time she shot me down? No. I still remember. It’s the underlying fuel to all of my choices for more than two years.
A text comes through from her:
I’m at my parents house.
I reply:
Is it too late to come by?
Within seconds I receive the answer:
No, I’ve been waiting for you.
Another text bubble appears:
Just like you asked me to.
My foot starts tapping as I tell my driver their familiar address. He nods and turns the wheel for the next exit off 75.
Virginia Highlands, here I come.
It feels funky to revisit this place after I’ve been gone for so long, bouncing around city to city in countries where English was their second language. Or third, fourth, fifth. My passport was stamped to where I needed a replacement.
Yet here I am driving up Ponce and there’s Krispy Kreme doughnuts where it always has been, on my right. The Library Bar, on my left. And not five minutes from here is my beautiful best friend waiting to hear me out just because I asked her to.
I’m risking that friendship.
There’s no
