Page 31 of Forever

I laugh harder. The man is a workaholic.

“As for the reason of my call,” he drags. He never drags, so I’m not sure I want to hear his next words. “You’re not going to like the news.”

Well damn! So much for ignoring real life.

*

ANABEL

“I’m so sorry, Val!” I all but run into the coffee shop where my friend is already waiting for me and stumble into the chair opposite of hers.

We’ve barely seen each other since the engagement party. William and I finally got some so much needed alone time, and Val … Well, she’s been busy with her own life. I didn’t know much, because we don’t text as we used to.

Being grown up sucks. There is so much to do and so little time. You don’t get to turn around full circle and the day is over and you didn’t do half the things you were supposed to. Balancing her full-time job and working on her thesis—she finished with all her classes last year, a year before me, because while I was playing nanny in the States she was at school, but her mentor was being difficult and didn’t want to approve her final thesis—with her family, friends and boyfriend couldn’t been easy.

“Don’t worry.” She waves me off. “I just got here myself.”

Just in that moment, the waiter decides to come and places her coffee in front of her. I place my order and we wait for the waiter to leave before we get to talking.

“So, how are you and mister star football player?”

“It’s mister famous football player,” I correct her. “And we’re amazing. I can’t even describe how much I missed him, Val! When he’s not around it feels like something is missing. The days go by and I do everything as I would do with him here, but it’s just not the same.”

“You’re in love. It’s okay to miss him.” Val gives me a soft smile.

“I sometimes feel so silly. We’re adults, for Christ’s sake! It shouldn’t be that hard to spend some time apart.”

“Why should you feel silly? It’s normal to miss the person you love. It’s normal to feel hollow and sad and even angry. You shouldn’t have to go through that. Two people that love each other as much as you two do shouldn’t be separated at all.”

She’s right. I know she is. Being separated form Will feels wrong on so many levels I don’t even want to start counting them all.

But he’s here now, and I have him all to myself for a while.

That’s the only thing that matters.

“What about you? How is everything working with Dominik now that you moved in together?”

Val made a few hints about them moving in together in the last few months. They’ve been dating for almost six years now, so I guess it seems like a logical next step.

“It’s …” She looks at her mug, her finger tracing the edge. “It’s good. We’re still trying to get used to it.”

I frown.

She should be happy she finally got to move in with her long-time boyfriend. Ecstatic even. Why isn’t she?

“Is everything all right?”

This time I look at her better. Actually look at her. Her face seems paler than usual, and her round blue eyes stand out. There are dark circles under her eyes, and it looks as if she lost a few pounds.

Smile is plastered on her face, but if you look closely, you can clearly see it’s as fake as all those Botoxed actresses in Hollywood.

Val is trying to avoid looking me directly in the eyes, but I can see though her facade.

Maybe you would have seen it sooner if you weren’t too busy with your own life and happiness to notice something’s wrong with your friend.

I tell the nasty voice inside my brain where to shove it and lean closer, my hand clasping over hers.

“What’s really going on, Val?”

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