CHLOE BAKER'S LOST DATE

Chapter Thirty: A Text Too Far

I stumble down the stairs and out into the night. I push open the door at the bottom of the stairs, then let it click shut behind me. It's after nine, and the street is mostly empty. There's a homeless man up the block talking to the sky, and a couple on the other side of the street, walking close together, laughing at some inside joke.

Other than that, I'm alone. And now that I'm out here, I don't know what I'm doing. I should call an Uber and go home. Kit will understand.

But, shit. I forgot my purse upstairs. Fantastic. The thought of going back upstairs and having to go through all the goodbyes I want to avoid is exhausting.

I've got my phone in my pocket though. That's enough for me to Uber. I even have a spare key hidden in a small, locked box above my doorframe that I can open with my phone. I can get the purse back tomorrow.

I just wish I knew where Ben was and if he was coming to the party. It would be just like me life for me to leave and for him to arrive moments later.

I take out my phone and go to Facebook, hoping for a message, but there isn't one, which I knew because I didn't have any notifications. He probably won't see this but what do I have to lose at this point?

Hope you're okay.

I wait, watching for the little bubble that shows that he's read it. But nothing appears.

He doesn't have his notifications on. He told me that. And I still don't have his phone number.

I don't even know how that happened. We said we were going to do it the other night, and then we'd get distracted and somehow it did become a joke between us, both of us withholding for some stupid reason that I can't grasp onto right now, but I'm so sick of this. It's not some fun game anymore. I can't be dating someone I can't get in touch with.

"Fuck!" I smack my hand against the wall and instantly regret it. That shit hurts.

"Whoa."

I turn around. Ben's standing there looking rumpled. He's wearing what he left the apartment in this morning—a pair of blue dockers and a polo shirt, but it looks like he slept in his clothes and his hair is a bit wild.

"Ben."

"It's me."

"Where were you?"

"Didn't Brian give you the note?"

"Yeah, but that was hours ago."

"I'm sorry. I should've messaged you."

"You don't have my number." I say this and I start to cry.

Ben takes me in his arms. "Hey, hey. No. I'm so sorry. I'm giving it to you right now." He takes my phone out of my hand and opens his contact. He corrects his number and sends me a message. My phone pings! "All fixed."

But it's not. "I ... How's your mom?"

"She's ... She's okay, I think. It was a rough afternoon, but then she bounced back a couple of hours ago. That happens sometimes at the end ... but the treatment might have worked. The doctors don't know what's happening."

"I'm sorry. I hope it's the latter, of course."

"It's rough. But I should've messaged you. I'll do better next time."

"Okay."

He tightens his arms around me. "I missed your speech."

"You did."

"I didn't want that."

"I know."

"What are you doing out here?"