Page 42 of The Jerk in Apartment 1B

“We didn’t.Youdid. This is what you wanted.”

“But I shouldn’t have rushed you out like that. We should’ve talked more. Said whatever needed to be said.”

“There’s nothing more I need to say,” I tell him.

Actually, there’s a lot I could say, but why bother? It wouldn’t make a difference.

“Trina, please. I don’t want to end it this way. I want to talk to you.”

“We’re talking right now.”

“I want to do it in person. I want to see you one last time. If dinner is too much, then we could meet for coffee, or get a drink. We could meet at that bar you like. The one with all the martinis.”

I love that bar, but it’s really expensive. It’ll be a long time before I can afford to go there again.

“I really need to see you,” Asher says in a desperate tone that makes me want to say yes. “Please, Trina. Just one last time.”

I sigh. “Fine. I’ll meet you for coffee. Tomorrow at ten.”

“Ten in the morning? I can’t. I have meetings at—”

“It’s ten or nothing.”

He’s silent a moment, then says, “Okay, ten. The coffee place by my office.”

“No. I get to pick the place.” I tell him where I want to go, which is a place close to my apartment. He’ll never agree to it. It’ll take him too long to get here, which is why I chose it.

“Okay, I’ll be there.”

Wait—he’s coming all that way to have coffee with me? During the work day? That’s odd.

“Okay, see you tomorrow.” I end the call, confused and a little shocked.

I can’t believe Asher agreed to miss almost half a day of work to come have coffee with me. The Asher I knew would never do that. Has he changed? In the last two days? Or does he really just want to say a proper goodbye to me?

I call Callie, hoping she can talk because I really need her opinion.

“Hey,” she answers. “Perfect timing. I just put Addie down for a nap.”

“Callie, you’ll never believe who just called.”

“Asher?”

“How’d you know?”

“You were with him for four years. He’s not going to be able to just stop talking to you after that.”

“He acted like he could last Friday. He packed all my stuff, like he couldn’t wait to get rid of me.”

“But now you’re not there and he misses you.”

“Yeah, he kind of implied that when we talked.”

“What else did he say?”

“That he wants us to meet. He said our goodbye was too rushed and we didn’t get a chance to talk.”

“What did you tell him?”

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