Page 70 of The Likelihood Of You

I’m in no way letting him off for what he did, but it’s been a while since he heard from me. I needed to tell him I was alive, and that was it.

I slid my finger over the screen, paying no attention to the urge that was persuading me to block him there and now, and brought the phone to my ear. “What?” I whisper, rather bluntly.

A sigh, almost one that sounds like it's full of relief, erupts from his end, but it very well could have been pure anger. It was always hard to tell with Hugo.

“Jesus, Florence. Where the fuck have you been? You’ve not talked to me in a year. Where in God's name are you?”

The audacity of some men will never fail to make mefeel violently ill.

“Nine months, actually, and I’ve been in New York. Is that all?” I ask, even blunter, with zero enthusiasm.

“New York? What? Like, the city? And no, that’s not all. I’ve not heard from you, for fucks sake. Why didn’t you talk to me or tell me where you were? I was worried about you.”

I scoffed. “Worried?”

After not talking to me for so long, I’m convinced the only thing he’s worried about is what happened to the £10,000 engagement he gave me.

Long story short, I handed it off to Nanna before I fled to the airport, with strict instructions on what to say to the volunteer at the charity shop when she did. And I hoped whoever bought it for £1 was doing well.

“Huh, that’s funny. See, it didn’t look like you were very worried about me when you were inside my sister.”

Unsurprisingly, a scoff came out of him. “Are you seriously still upset about that?" the Royal Borough veil over his voice filled me with the urge to scream. "It was a mistake. A stupid mistake. It was a one-time thing, Flo.” He says calmly, like the mistake he was talking about was misplacing our only set of keys. Not borderline adultery.

“One-time thing? Is that right?” My voice had turned so condescending, like I was a cruel teacher talking to a child. “So you and Syd were never together? Is that what you’re saying?”

The dense breath from his end told me he knew he was caught. “Fine, we dated. For like a month. Okay? Can you just come home so we can finally sort this out?”

I hunched my back and turned towards the window. “Are you forgetting that we were supposed to get married? Married, Hugo. Youthought I’d be so forgiving just because of how long it’s been since it happened? I had to tell my friends and my family why the wedding was off. Do you know how humiliating that felt?”

He likely didn’t, because I can guarantee he made up a story to his parents that I’d been abducted by aliens or something equally ridiculous. Anything that still made him the good guy.

“I messed up, Flo, I know!”

My breakfast would undoubtedly make an unwelcome appearance if he dared to call me ‘Flo’ one more time.

“Book a flight home and come and see me. Or I'll fly to you! I know we can make things work again.”

Did things ever work between us?

I rushed out a huff of air. “Look, Hugo, you’re either drunk, high or delusional if you think I’d ever want to see your face again, let alone get back with you. I told you where I am; now, leave me to live my life. Okay?”

“Absolutely not. I’m not letting you go.”

A mock smile invaded my face. “Jesus…it’s a bit late for that, mate.”

“Florence, please.”

“I’m going.”

“But—”

“Bye.”

“I still love you, Flo!”

I froze, and my heart seized up.

I lifted my head, my eyes finding Jacob like it was a reflex. They knew to look for him. He was still outside, closer to the store entrance, and still laughing away with the guys aroundhim, but that didn’t stop him from catching my gaze. He winked at me when he saw me staring, and flashed me a smile.

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