Page 45 of Piece By Piece

“You’re sure?” I ask, slowly feeling my tense muscles release.

“Yes, everything’s fine here,” he assures me.

“Okay, good. I’m sorry I woke you, then. Go back to sleep, I’ll see you tomorrow,” I tell him.

“Until then, Honey.” The line disconnects and I sag against the headrest, closing my eyes as it feels like a thousand years of stress bleed out of me.

“He didn’t mean to call me. Everything’s fine,” I say without looking at the man next to me. He gives my knee a squeeze.

“See, you got some rest and there was no catastrophe. Will you agree to sleep a few more hours now?” he asks.

I worry my lip between my teeth. “I don’t know. I should still get back to Lily.” Even as I say it, I don’t make a move to open her messages. I don’t want to deal with that right now.

Sebastian takes my phone from my hands again and puts it back on my nightstand, making the decision for me. Then, wordlessly, he tugs at my hands to pull me into a lying position. I’m in his arms the next second, my face buried in the crook of his neck while his even breathing brushes against the top of my head, making tingles rush down my spine.

After a few minutes of stroking my back gently, he asks, “Do you want me to read to you again?”

“No, this is fine. Thanks,” I mumble against his skin, already feeling my mind drifting off. It’s only faintly that I notice his soft shudder in response to the brush of my lips against his skin.

The next day passes in a blur. I wake up again at nine am and Sebastian isn’t awake to stop me from sneaking away this time. I almost feel bad for just leaving but I have things to do before my shift starts. I left him a cute note to express my gratitude and hopefully leave him in a good mood for the day, at least.

I get breakfast bagels at my favorite café and then head to Lily’s place. Is she awake at this time on the day after her party? No, she probably isn’t. Do I care that I’m waking her up? I can’t say I do.

I ring her doorbell about fifty times and have to wait in the brutal late-December cold for several minutes until the door flies open and I come face to face with my best friend’s disheveled boyfriend.

I smile at him. “Hey, there. Would you mind letting me in? I’m here to see my bestie,” I chirp too cheerily. Andrew doesn’t return my smile.

“Aly, it’s really fucking early. I’m sure Lily would be over the moon to know you came but she’s still sleeping,” he explains at the same time as a crash sounds from inside the apartment. He turns around to look for the source while I crane my neck to see inside in vain.

Lily curses inside and then appears next to her boyfriend the next moment, looking even worse than him. Her eyes arered and puffy as if she cried all night and there are dark circles under her eyes. Still, she smiles tiredly at me.

“I’m awake. Sorry. I’m up.” Her eyes drop to the bag in my hands and she beams a little more, despite the nerves she seems to experience. “You brought me breakfast.”

“Consider it your late birthday gift,” I say. At the mention of her birthday and the memories of her party, an odd silence descends over us.

Finally, she clears her throat. “Right. Andrew, baby, why don’t you go back to bed? Aly and I will be in the living room.” Andrew nods, kisses the side of her head, and then leaves with one unsure smile in my direction. I follow Lily into her living room and take a seat at her dinner table, unloading the bagels.

Before I can even think to speak, Lily breaks the silence, her smile dropping and giving way to an anguished expression. “I am so sorry, Aly. Really. God, I don’t know what I was thinking and it doesn’t matter. I’m so sorry that I exposed you to that. I can’t imagine what you must’ve felt like.

“I tried coming after you after Sebastian left but Andrew found me first and I didn’t think you wanted to see me. I am so sorry. Are we okay?” she asks right as she starts to cry.

No matter how disappointed I might be in her, I have never been able to see my girl cry. That’s why I quickly round the table and pull her into my arms, squeezing her to me.

“We’re okay. Just never do anything like that again, okay?”

She nods vigorously. “I won’t. It was stupid, really.” She hiccups and wraps her arms around my waist. “You looked so horrified,” sheadds.

“I was, Lily.” That’s all I say to that, refusing to lie. It’s not my place to be angry at her for what she does to her body, but I won’t give her an easy way out and lie about what the sight of her with those drugs did to me. That’s not how our relationship works.

After staying a bit and talking until things felt normal between us, I left her apartment with less weight on my shoulders. That leaves me with just enough time to go home, take a shower, and go to work. There, my body easily follows my routine and I do my chores and visit my patients on auto pilot.

Before I know it, it’s lunchtime and I’m eating side-by-side with a few seniors, trying not to burst out laughing when old Mary Louise accuses poor Nelson of having stolen her peas even though I just watched her finish the last of them.

Yeah, I really love my job at times.

My good time is interrupted by a co-worker, who tells me someone is asking for me at the reception. A little reluctantly, I thank her and leave the table, telling Mary to take my peas as I go.

I’m not sure why I’m so surprised to see Sebastian once I reach my destination, and I understand the way my heart starts doing somersaults even less. It’s just Seb. My friend. Whom I’m attracted to, sure, and who held me all night, but still. It’s weird seeing him back here where it all started.

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