TOO GOOD ━ SUGG. ✓

chapter thirty-nine

JOE SUGG'S POV
As soon as the words left her mouth, a hot tear fell down my cheek and hit the floor softly. I wasn't able to say anything or do anything. I just stood there, completely frozen, watching as she turned away and left as quickly as she came, shutting the door behind her.

As soon as I heard the door close, it was almost like a trigger. A trigger that was telling my brain that she was gone and within seconds, I began running towards the door. Just as I was about to open it, I felt a hand on my shoulder and when I looked back, Zoë was looking at me with a sad expression on her face.

"Let her go, Joe," she whispered softly, before looking me straight in the eyes. "Give her time to think."

"Zoë, let go of me."

"You made a mistake and you hurt her, Joe. She deserves space."

"Zoë, please," I begged, but I could see the disappointment in her eyes as she looked down and sighed.

"All I really wanted to do was come and give you this," she said before holding out a familiar article of clothing. It was the grey sweater that I had left at Marcus's flat. I looked up, expecting Zoë to be there, but she was gone.

"Joe?" I heard a voice say and when I looked up, Caspar was standing at my doorway. There was a sad expression on his face as he looked at my broken state. I forced myself to sit down on the edge of my bed, my breath becoming shallow and quick. It wasn't a surprise to me that this was happening, it was just the beginning of a cruel realization.

A realization that I didn't want to have to face.

"She's gone, Caspar," I whispered, my voice barely audible. He let out a soft sigh, before sitting down beside me on the edge of my bed and placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I-" he started to say but stopped when he looked at me. It took him a couple of seconds but before I knew it, Caspar was pulling me in for a hug. I embraced him back as I wept silently into his shoulder.

"I'm no better than Cole, Caspar."

"Don't say that Joe, you're way better than he could ever be."

"We both hurt her. I just did it emotionally. It's not that different," I choked out before pulling away from him. He let out a sad sigh before leaning forward and placing his elbows on his knees. I looked down at my phone before turning it on and gazing intently at the screen.

New voicemail from Alyssa Deyes (3)

"I'll come back in a few minutes," I heard Caspar say and when I looked up, he was gone. I let out a shaky breath as I slid my finger across the notification and turned up my volume, preparing myself for what was to come.

The first one was from two days ago.

"If you really think that I don't give a shit about you, you're wrong, Joe. I care about you more than I care about myself, and now you won't even return my phone calls or my texts. Just pick up the phone so that we can talk, because I need you. I can't live without you and I don't want you and I to end because of this."

The message ended there and before I had time to comprehend the first, the second one was playing from a day ago.

"I don't hate you for leaving me in the rain. Just know that."

Then the third one from today was at 11:35 AM.

"I've lost track of how many times I've tried to call you," Alyssa let out a bitter laugh as she spoke into her phone, "but I'm hoping that one of these days, you'll pick up and we can talk. I don't know what I'm going to do, Joe, I need you to know that. I don't know if I'm leaving, and I don't know if I'm staying. All I'm saying is that we have a chance, and right now I'm choosing to believe that you and I are still together."