Chapter 2

I stared at the message saying 50 dollars had landed in my account for a long time.

Then I turned off the voice changer, opened the recording file, and found the last part.

I pressed play. Georgia's voice came through my headphones. "If you were the guy I've been trashing all night, what would you think after hearing everything I just said?"

I leaned closer to the microphone. Using my own voice, I said softly, "I'd think, 'So you really do hate me that much.'

"Well, that's good then. That means we're even now."

I quit the app and closed my laptop.

The room was dark, with only a bit of streetlight from outside spilling in, stretching long shadows across the floor.

I grabbed the pack of cigarettes from the table, shook one out, and stuck it between my lips.

It took a few tries before the lighter finally caught.

The cigarettes were cheap and harsh. But I needed this.

My phone screen was still lit up, showing the chat with my landlord.

The latest message was from yesterday. [Zane, rent is due by the fifth of next month. No more extensions.]

I replied, [Got it.]

Then I scrolled through my contacts and tapped on the profile picture I'd always been too nervous to open.

After a while, I exited WhatsApp and opened my mobile banking app.

The balance was still 800 dollars. With the 50 dollars I just made, it was now 850 dollars.

I was still short for rent. Forget, I didn't even want to figure out how much.

Halfway through my cigarette, my phone buzzed.

It was a message from the app support: [Mr. Baldwin, the client you just had gave you a five-star rating.]

I frowned. Georgia gave me a five-star? Seriously?

The support team sent another message: [But she left a comment in the review section: "The chat was professional, but it suddenly cut off at the end. Was I too harsh?"]

I read that and couldn't help but laugh. Like, really laughed out loud.

I wanted to reply, "Was I too harsh? Georgia, you roasted me for twenty-five minutes straight, from my hair to my heels, and now you're asking if you were too harsh?"

But I typed: [Let her know it wasn't too harsh.]

Support: [Mr. Baldwin, maybe try to comfort the client next time. For example, after they finish venting, you could say, "Glad you got it off your chest," or "Everything will pass..."]

Zane: [So, can I charge an extra 15 dollars as a comfort fee?]

I exited the chat and stubbed out my cigarette in the sandwich container.

Then I got up and went to the bathroom to shower.

The water was freezing. The water heater in this crappy apartment keeps breaking down.

But I stood under the cold water, my mind unusually clear.

Georgia's voice kept replaying in my head. "Dumbass. So full of yourself. What a joke."

I wiped the water from my face and shut off the tap. The mirror was so fogged up, I couldn't even see my face.

But I remembered the last thing Georgia said, "If you were the guy I've been trashing all night, what would you think after hearing everything I just said?"

I'd think…

I had thought a lot.

All those dumb things I did in college, and the way Georgia always looked at me, not with hate, just indifference.

That kind of total indifference stings way more than hate ever could.

I remembered the night of our graduation send-off. I downed half a case of beer, got myself drunk enough to wait for her outside her dorm.

Georgia walked up to me. "Zane," she said, "don't wait for me anymore."

I said, "I'm not waiting."

"Then what are you doing out here?" Georgia asked.

"I..." I froze, unable to get the words out. The alcohol was making my head spin.

Georgia laughed. "Have you seen enough? If you have, just go home. And don't come back."

I didn't move. She turned to leave, and I reached out, catching her wrist. It felt so thin and cold.

"Georgia," I said softly, "I've liked you for a really long time."

Georgia turned back to look at me. "So? You've liked me forever, so I'm supposed to like you back?"

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

"Zane, love isn't some exam. It's not about who sticks around the longest," Georgia said, pulling her hand away. "The only person you're impressing is yourself, not me."

After saying that, she just walked off.

I stood outside the dorm, watching her silhouette disappear into the doorway.

As the steam faded from the mirror, only half my face came into view.

My eyes were red. I couldn't tell if it was the cold shower, or something else.