wouldn't call them before he got on the plane. Too cheap to pay the
long distance charges on his cell phone. So maybe he wasn't quite as concerned
as I thought.
Still, if he does call my
parents they are liable to do something crazy like contact the US embassy or
something, so I decide to call him back to at least let him know I'm still
alive. Besides, with him already on the plane I at least won't have to
actually talk to him directly. I certainly want to avoid the real reason I'm
staying. That's still not a conversation with him that I'm ready to have.
It takes me a minute to
mentally compose what I'm going to say. I need something that sounds clear and
final, but without giving away too much. I don't really want to lie to him,
he'll find out about Chase eventually, but I don't really want to tell him
about us just yet either. I have the advantage in being able to leave it as a
message and not have to worry about him peppering me with questions. I'm not a
great liar.
I dial his cell, trying
to keep the rough monologue in my head and hoping I won't sound like a fumbling
idiot trying to dance around the most important part of the story.
It only rings once.
"Hello? Lila?
Where the hell are you?" comes Harry's unrecorded voice.
Shit.
I'm silent, caught by
surprise at having Harrison actually answer the phone when I was completely
expecting his voicemail. The clock on the desk across from me says ten thirty
seven. Why the hell isn't he already on his way back to Toronto?
"Lila? Are you
there? I hope you're on your way to the airport. The flight was delayed but they’re
expecting to board in a few minutes. Where the hell are you?"
"I'm not
coming," I finally find my voice. The speech I'd prepared has fled my
mind completely so I have to wing it.
"What do you mean
you aren't coming? Where are you, Lila? Where have you been? I have your bag
here with me."
"I'm... I'm just
staying in Vegas for a little while. I need some time."
"Lila, what the
hell. You haven't spoken to me at all, you have to let me explain about-"
"Stop," I say.
Surprisingly, he does. "It's over Harrison. It really is. It's not
about the other night, although that was certainly the last straw, but it's
been coming for a long time. I think we both knew it. There's nothing left
for us. It just wasn't working."
"Lila, I-"
"Stop," I
repeat. "Please, just stop. Take my bag and drop it off with Evelyn.
I'll let you know when I get back to Toronto. I just wanted to call and let
you now that I was okay." So that you wouldn't freak my parents out.
"Lila, can we just
talk about this? I can change my flight as well."
"No!" The last
thing I want to do is have Harrison still in Vegas trying to meet up with me.
I don't want to be responsible for him anymore, and I'm not ready to have the
conversation about Chase. He'll say it's too soon. It probably is too soon,
but I don't care. It feels right. Chase makes me feel right. "It's over
Harry. Please stop texting me. I have to go." I hang up before he gets
a chance to say another word. This time I turn my phone completely off. I
need a break from my old life for a few days. From Harry, from Evelyn, from
everyone. I'm here with Chase, and Chase is the only person I'm interested in
spending time with.
With that thought, I head
back into the other room and slip back into bed with him, snuggling up to his
warm naked body with my own. This is exactly where I want to be.
It took me three days to
even turn my phone back on again. I wasn't exactly avoiding Harry, Evelyn, or
anyone else, I simply forgot about it. Chase and I have been busy almost nonstop
since then, and whenever we do have a free moment we usually spend it in his
hotel without clothes. Not because Harry took my bag back with him to Toronto,
either. Chase
long distance charges on his cell phone. So maybe he wasn't quite as concerned
as I thought.
Still, if he does call my
parents they are liable to do something crazy like contact the US embassy or
something, so I decide to call him back to at least let him know I'm still
alive. Besides, with him already on the plane I at least won't have to
actually talk to him directly. I certainly want to avoid the real reason I'm
staying. That's still not a conversation with him that I'm ready to have.
It takes me a minute to
mentally compose what I'm going to say. I need something that sounds clear and
final, but without giving away too much. I don't really want to lie to him,
he'll find out about Chase eventually, but I don't really want to tell him
about us just yet either. I have the advantage in being able to leave it as a
message and not have to worry about him peppering me with questions. I'm not a
great liar.
I dial his cell, trying
to keep the rough monologue in my head and hoping I won't sound like a fumbling
idiot trying to dance around the most important part of the story.
It only rings once.
"Hello? Lila?
Where the hell are you?" comes Harry's unrecorded voice.
Shit.
I'm silent, caught by
surprise at having Harrison actually answer the phone when I was completely
expecting his voicemail. The clock on the desk across from me says ten thirty
seven. Why the hell isn't he already on his way back to Toronto?
"Lila? Are you
there? I hope you're on your way to the airport. The flight was delayed but they’re
expecting to board in a few minutes. Where the hell are you?"
"I'm not
coming," I finally find my voice. The speech I'd prepared has fled my
mind completely so I have to wing it.
"What do you mean
you aren't coming? Where are you, Lila? Where have you been? I have your bag
here with me."
"I'm... I'm just
staying in Vegas for a little while. I need some time."
"Lila, what the
hell. You haven't spoken to me at all, you have to let me explain about-"
"Stop," I say.
Surprisingly, he does. "It's over Harrison. It really is. It's not
about the other night, although that was certainly the last straw, but it's
been coming for a long time. I think we both knew it. There's nothing left
for us. It just wasn't working."
"Lila, I-"
"Stop," I
repeat. "Please, just stop. Take my bag and drop it off with Evelyn.
I'll let you know when I get back to Toronto. I just wanted to call and let
you now that I was okay." So that you wouldn't freak my parents out.
"Lila, can we just
talk about this? I can change my flight as well."
"No!" The last
thing I want to do is have Harrison still in Vegas trying to meet up with me.
I don't want to be responsible for him anymore, and I'm not ready to have the
conversation about Chase. He'll say it's too soon. It probably is too soon,
but I don't care. It feels right. Chase makes me feel right. "It's over
Harry. Please stop texting me. I have to go." I hang up before he gets
a chance to say another word. This time I turn my phone completely off. I
need a break from my old life for a few days. From Harry, from Evelyn, from
everyone. I'm here with Chase, and Chase is the only person I'm interested in
spending time with.
With that thought, I head
back into the other room and slip back into bed with him, snuggling up to his
warm naked body with my own. This is exactly where I want to be.
It took me three days to
even turn my phone back on again. I wasn't exactly avoiding Harry, Evelyn, or
anyone else, I simply forgot about it. Chase and I have been busy almost nonstop
since then, and whenever we do have a free moment we usually spend it in his
hotel without clothes. Not because Harry took my bag back with him to Toronto,
either. Chase
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