Chapter 7

Once my mind was made up, I managed to sleep for a bit.

It wasn't a deep sleep, but I forced myself to rest.

Claire usually left the house at eight.

I woke up before then, but she was already gone.

She didn't reply to my texts and didn't answer my calls.

I immediately thought of her private account.

Sure enough, Claire had updated it.

Her new post was tagged at Boston Logan International Airport. The caption was just two words:

"Wait for me."

I hated my own intuition in that moment.

But I was also relieved.

This was for the best.

A little more disappointment would make my departure that much firmer.

I held my phone and waited until noon.

Still no word from Claire, and no new updates on her account.

By now, she must have already picked Julian up, right?

Whatever they were doing, it all made sense now.

I lowered my head, trying to dodge the images flashing in my mind.

But my eyes landed on the framed photo on the sofa.

In the picture, Claire and I were both smiling, as if there had never been any distance between us.

Back then, she texted me late at night saying she missed me.

I immediately quit my well-paying job back home and moved to be by her side.

To celebrate the end of a year and a half of long-distance, I pulled her in to take that photo.

At that time, things between us were actually good.

My eyes darkened, and I turned the frame face down.

I didn't want to look at it anymore.

My phone lit up.

A text from Claire.

"What's wrong?"

I didn't text back. I dialed her number directly.

It rang for a while before she picked up.

"Hello?"

The background noise was loud.

I couldn't hear clearly, and I didn't bother asking.

"Come back. We need to talk."

"What is it that we can't talk about over the phone?" Her tone was flat, but the impatience bled through.

I was stubborn, too.

"No. In person."

These seven years might have just been a distraction for her, but not for me.

Even if it was over, I wanted to end it to her face.

"Mason, I'm busy." The warning in her voice was obvious.

Anger flared in my chest, and I finally tore off the band-aid.

"Are you really busy, or are you just having dinner with your true love?"

"Claire, you know exactly what you're doing."

Her breath hitched on the other end.

"Are you tracking me?"

I was so tired.

"I'll wait for you for one more hour. Show up or don't. It's up to you."

"Mason, wait!"

She stopped me and quickly rattled off an address.

"Come over right now, then. Come see for yourself if it's what you think it is!"