Before You Leave Me

Prologue

July 20th, 2016.

The city in summer is hell. Literally.

I make my way to my dad's house, walking practically glued to the walls trying to keep myself in the shade, where I'm sure with a bit of luck the thermometer will say 36ºC.

It is one of those very hot days of July. The kind of day in which the temperature is high, the humidity is also high and every time the wind blows it feels as if someone had started a hairdryer on your face. The kind of day in which no one leaves their house and almost every establishment has its doors closed in an attempt of trying to keep the cold the air conditioning provides inside. The kind of day the streets are deserted except for me, because there's always one day like that or two this month, and it had to be the one I was moving houses.

I struggle to reach the keys in my pocket and push the door with my foot. My mobile phone rings at the same time the door closes behind me.

"Yep" I say picking up, pressing my phone with my cheek against my shoulder.

"Hi Dan" a feminine voice greets at the other end of the line; "It's Amelie; are you at your Dad's?"

"I just got on the elevator"

"Do you want to hang out? We can play together. I've been learning a couple of songs"

"I haven't brought my guitar" I say kicking the elevator door open and searching for the apartment keys.

"I've got two" Amelie says.

"Fine. Let me leave all the bags and I'll be there as soon as possible"

"All right, ciao!" she says and hangs up.

I throw the bags at the bed and sigh heavily. Hot, it is very fucking hot.

I take off my t-shirt and decide to take a shower before going to Amelie's.

She lives two floors up. It's a weird coincidence that both her mom and my dad decided to buy an apartment on the same building. Maybe they had discounts for divorced people or something. Whatever.

Ten minutes and a cold shower later, I ring on Amelie's door.

I hear a meow from the other side before the door opens and Amelie greets me with a smile.

"Hey" I say giving her two kisses and petting the cat's head.

I love that cat. And I know it loves me too.

Amelie guides me to the sitting room and hands me a guitar. Fifteen minutes into our music session, she lifts her sight and looks at me.

"Have you heard?" she asks.

I pull a face.

"Heard what?" I say leaving the guitar by my side.

"About Victoria"

Boom.

Amelie drops the bomb, and I can see a little triumphant smirk as my expression gives her the answer: No, I did not know about Victoria. Whatever there is to know about her, I am not aware.

Amelie stands up to get her iPad and sits next to me, opening Safari.

She browses through some tabs until she finally hands me the device.

Victoria.

At first, I don't recognize her: metallic floor-length dress, her hair on a side plaid and her lips are bright red. It is only when I look at her lips when I recognize her. And after examining her, I realise she hasn't changed much since the last time I saw her a couple of months ago. Although she looks pretty. Very pretty.