Chapter 3

Aiden was still asleep when I went home to get my things.

He'd called six times the night before.

His last message read, "I've left the door unlocked for you. Don't stay out all night."

I'd stared at it in my hotel room, thinking of all the nights I'd waited for him.

Somehow, those had never counted as nights I'd spent alone.

His jacket lay at the foot of the bed.

I walked around it and opened the wardrobe.

My clothes were crammed into the far right side, with his spare suitcase underneath.

I moved it aside and pulled out the old suitcase that had been with me through three moves.

Its wheels hit the floor, and he woke up.

"You're back?"

I didn't answer. I started folding clothes.

He rolled over.

"Close the curtains. It's too bright."

He finally sat up when he heard the zipper.

"What are you doing?"

"Packing."

He glanced at his phone.

"I'm free this afternoon. I'll take you out to eat once I've had some sleep."

I tucked my socks into a compartment.

He got out of bed, came up behind me, and wrapped his arms around my waist.

His chin rested on my shoulder, his voice still rough with sleep.

"Still mad at me?"

I stiffened.

He leaned his weight against me and tightened his arms, as though I'd simply gotten up a little early.

"You didn't get much to eat last night, did you?"

I caught the familiar scent of his body wash.

For a moment, I wanted to turn around and ask why, if he still cared, he hadn't come out to find me.

I pried his hands away.

"You don't have to wait for me for dinner anymore."

He looked at the half-empty wardrobe.

"You're serious?"

I went into the bathroom and took my toothbrush.

Everything beside it was his. His razor, his cologne, bottles he'd brought back from hotels on tour. My hair tie was looped around the neck of one bottle, stretched out from getting soaked.

I took that too.

Aiden followed me to the doorway.

"Let's take a trip. Haven't you always wanted to go to the beach?"

I stopped.

I still had the hotel booking page saved on my phone.

"When?"

"I'll have my assistant check."

I went back to packing.

"Leah, I just said we'd go."

"You said that last year too, but we never did."

He rubbed his face.

"I had work."

"You will this time too."

My unfinished song lay on the desk in the guest room.

I put the notebook in my bag, uncovering an old plane ticket beneath it.

Years ago, Dana had invited me to work in another city, but I'd ended up canceling the ticket.

Aiden had held me and told me his career was still so uncertain, he couldn't handle not having me there either.

I'd stayed.

Now he stood in the doorway and asked:

"Where would you even stay?"

"A hotel, for now."

"And then what? You can't stay there forever."

I put my laptop in my bag.

"I'll find somewhere."

"What about work? You've only worked on my projects these past few years."

He said it calmly, as though he were reminding me to take an umbrella.

I crouched down and fastened the suitcase.

So he knew how much I'd turned down to stay with him.

He just thought it meant I'd never be able to leave.

"I'll start taking on my own work again."

He said nothing.

I wheeled my suitcase through the living room and picked up the photo of us behind the trophy.

We were still so young in it, his forehead pressed against mine as he smiled.

I slid the photo out and left the frame.

Once I was outside, I got into a taxi and called Dana.

She agreed to meet with me and asked when I could get there.

I opened the flight search.

A message from Aiden popped up.

"Come home tonight. We'll talk properly. Stop being unreasonable."

I selected a one-way ticket.

"Tomorrow afternoon," I told Dana.