Page 5 of Basil

He stepped back, shaking his head. “You’re such a snob, Summer. My friends arenottoxic. Unlikeyourfriends, they’re ambitious and they work hard. They’re smart and well educated. You carry a chip on your shoulder because you don’t have a college degree, and so, no matter what they say to you, you get over-emotional.”

I had to leave, I thought, before he said things that would stay in my mind and not let me look back at our time together with any pleasure.

Basil liked to win, and when he didn’t, he became vicious. I knew that about him and accepted it. No one was perfect. When I got upset, instead of talking through things, I got cold and ran. I was trying to do better right now, right here, but the need to hide and lick my wounds so they wouldn’t fester was driving me now.

“Why are you so difficult?” He said in exasperation. “Like during the company Christmas party. Christ, Summer, you were rude to people at my work. You made me look bad.”

He was so far off on a tangent from reality now, that I didn’t think anything I said would help.

“I understand how you feel, Basil. But I can’t change. I can’t be better than I am. I can’t become blasé about being talked to the way…you’ve just spoken to me, or as your colleagues did at your Christmas party or your friends just now.” I smiled wanly. “I’m not from your world, and I don’t fit. I have been trying hard to, but I don’t want to anymore.”

I was holding on tight to myself before I had a nervous breakdown in front of Basil, and he’d know exactlyhowemotional I could get.

3

DRAMA QUEEN

BASIL

Istood in front of her, barring her access to the door. “You walk out, don’t bother coming back.”

The words left my mouth before I fully thought them through, but I didn’t take them back. I meant them. At least, that’s what I told myself as Summer stood there, staring at me like I was a stranger instead of the man she’d spent two years with.

Her lips parted slightly, but she didn’t say anything. Didn’t yell, didn’t argue—just looked at me for a long, silent moment. Then she nodded.

The sound of her packing was infuriating. The quiet, controlled movements and lack of a dramatic exit made it seem that this wasn’t a fight but a decision.

She slung her bag over her shoulder. “If there’s anything left, just…bring it by the shop. I’ll have your things there or…I can have an Uber…just let me know.”

I needed to get out of there.

I shot one last glance at the bedroom—our bedroom, though apparently, not for much longer—then walked out, slamming the door behind me.

Let her leave. She’d cool down. She always did. She would realize she was overreacting and see that I wasn’t the villain she was making me out to be. She’d come back.

She would right?Of course, she would. She had a good life with me. Access to this beautiful luxury apartment complex, expensive dinners, vacations to places she never could afford on her own.

And this was the thanks I got?

I let out a bitter laugh as I walked to the rooftop lounge where my friends were, friends whom she called toxic. They were great—all of them. They had been there for me when I started my company and had been there for me through thick and thin for the past eight years.

I was done with Summer. Yes, I was. Let her go.

I stepped onto the rooftop lounge, the cool night air doing nothing to soothe the irritation thrumming in my chest. The city skyline stretched before me, lights twinkling against the black sky. I loved this view. I’d earned this view. I was proud of it, but I always felt as if Summer didn’t appreciate it, didn’t care about it.

I slumped into a chair next to Drew. She looked at me with concern. “Where were you?” She looked around. “Where’s Summer?”

I took the glass of bourbon Gareth was holding and downed it.

“All okay?” he slurred. The guy worked hard and partied harder. He was a senior vice president for a Fortune 500 tech company—and Summer thought he was an imbecile. Sure, he’d say the odd stupid thing but didn’t everyone? That didn’t make him the child of Satan the way Summer talked about him.

I looked at my friends. Drew and Felix worked for me; in fact, Felix was my Chief Human Resources Officer. Drew had been the head of engineering, and after our COO left, I knew I’d be promoting her. I trusted my friends, and they were essential for the success of my company. Karen had her own start up, a fashion app that was doing very well. Ajay and Lola were the IT couple and had been since we were in college. They both ran a healthcare software company, which they were getting ready to take public.

Summer’s best friend Meadow ran a yoga studio. Bodhi, who lived in the same building, was a musician and barista who always smelled of weed. Ocean owned a smoothie joint. Rain was a single mother who didn’t know who her daughter River’s father was. Between them I doubted anyone had a college degree. They were nice people—but they weren’t going to beanythingever.

Did it bother me that Summer wasn’t ambitious? That she was happy with her silly little store? Sure, but I loved her and accepted that about her, so, why couldn’t she accept that I had bigger goals and dreams?

“What’s wrong?” Lola put her hand on mine.

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