Ego Maniac(82)

People don’t leave when they love someone. They stick around forever.





The following morning, my unsettled feeling had sprouted. The root had been there for the last few weeks, but since my talk with Beck, it had grown like a vine and taken up residence in my stomach, my head. And it had coiled around my heart so tightly I could barely breathe.

I had to drag myself out of bed so I could get to the airport for my flight. In the back of the cab, I checked my departure time and fidgeted. I knew myself, how I could obsess over shit, and I needed to know. Finally giving in, I texted Roman at five in the morning.

Drew: Is she seeing someone?

As always, he responded within a few minutes. He was the only person I knew who required less sleep than I did.

Roman: Thought I wasn’t supposed to tell you that part.

Drew: Just tell me.

Roman: You sure you can handle it?

Jesus Christ. I wasn’t actually so sure I could. If he was asking, it wasn’t good.

Drew: Tell me.

Roman: The neighbor is moving in on her. Sent her some flowers—huge thing of yellow roses. Also took her out to lunch the other day at some fancy place with a big price tag and stupid, tiny food.

Fuck.

Drew: Anything else?

Roman: Started tailing him a bit. Took some woman to dinner last night. Tall. Great legs. Halfway through dinner it looked like they had an argument. She pulled some dramatic shit, standing and throwing the napkin on the table, then stormed off. Think he might have dumped her.

The unsettled feeling in my gut was there for a goddamn reason. I was going to lose her forever if I didn’t get my head out of my ass. Pulling up to the airport, I typed one last text to my friend before exiting the cab.

Drew: Thanks, Roman.

He immediately typed back.

Roman: Go get her. About fucking time.





I was almost as nervous as I’d been yesterday when I had to break the news to Beck. But there was also something different about the way I felt. Determined. No matter what it took, I was going to make Emerie forgive me and give me another chance. I’d fucked up—I could place blame on a million experiences in my life, but the truth of the matter was I’d fucked up. And I was about to start fixing it.

There was an out of order sign in front of two of the elevators in her building. I stood in front of the lone functioning one, tapping my foot as I watched the numbers come down over the doors. It stuck on nine for thirty seconds, then stopped at eight for just as long. I don’t have time for this. I’d already wasted enough time. Looking around, I saw the sign for the stairs and broke into a jog. My heart pounded as I took them two at a time up to the third floor.

Then I was standing in front of Emerie’s door, and it dawned on me for the first time that I had no idea what I was going to say. Two hours on the plane, and I hadn’t come up with an opening statement. Good thing I’m a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of guy when it comes to oral arguments.

I took a deep breath, steadied myself, and knocked.

When the door opened, I realized how completely unprepared I was.

Because it was Baldwin staring at me from inside.





Drew




“Where’s Emerie?”

“She’s getting dressed. We have a breakfast meeting at the college to attend this morning. Not that it’s any of your business.”

Professor Putz was still standing inside, and I was the one out in the hall. The symbolism ate at me. I brushed past him and went into Emerie’s apartment.

“Sure, come on in,” he mumbled, sarcastically.

I turned to face him, folding my hands across my chest. “Now leave.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I need to speak to Emerie alone, so I would appreciate it if you would disappear.”

He shook his head. “No.”

My brows lifted. I didn’t think the peckerhead had it in him. If it were any other time, I might’ve been impressed with his tenacity. But right now, it just annoyed the shit out of me.

I took a step forward. “You can either leave on your own, or I’ll help you leave. Either way, you’re leaving. What’s it gonna be?”

Finding I wasn’t playing around, he took the smart route and opened the door. “Tell Emerie I’ll see her at school later.”

“Yeah. I’ll be sure to give her the message.” I gave the door a shove, slamming it closed on his heels.

Turning around, I found Emerie’s living room cluttered with office furniture. The place barely had enough room for a couch and chair before. Now it was also filled with a desk, office chairs, file cabinets, computer equipment, and everything else from her office.

The door to her bedroom creaked, and Emerie walked out, looking down as she scrolled through something on her phone.

“I pulled up the psychology department bios on the college’s website. Tell me again who we’re meeting? I’m so bad with names.”

My answer stopped her in her tracks. “It’s just me and you.”

Emerie’s head whipped up, and she blinked a few times as if she were imagining the man standing in her living room.

“Drew. What are you doing here?” She looked beyond me. “And where’s Baldwin?”

“Gone.”

“Gone where?”