Page 56 of Little Gray Dress

“I’m sorry. Can I help you at least get everything back out to your car?”

For a moment, I stare at Rachel, confused. Why wouldn’t he tell me he was leaving the state?

“Yes, yes… That would be great,” I say to Rachel, hoping she doesn’t notice the panicked look on my face.

We load the stuff into my car, and Rachel, the sweet girl she is, waves as she walks towards her car in the garage nearby. Now, as if never calling or showing up for our dates isn’t enough, he’s running off out of state, without even telling me. I violently jab his number into my phone only for it to go straight to voicemail. Either his phone isn’t on, or he’s intentionally ignoring me. The asshole. I dial Lily and thankfully she picks up on the first ring.

“He left town, without even telling me.”

“What?” she asks, obviously confused by me starting a conversation in the middle. You’d think she’d be used to me by now, but I’m still able to surprise her with my over-thinking.

“Yeah… I went through all the work of picking up all of our favorite foods to surprise him for dinner at work, and when I get here Rachel has to tell me he went out of town with Andy – this morning.”

“And you’re sure he didn’t tell you?”

“Yeah. I haven’t talked to him in like three days; when would he have told me?”

“That is weird.”

“Do you think he’s cheating on me?”

“No…” Her hesitation doesn’t match her answer.

“Great. Now what?”

“Let’s go to his apartment and see what else he hasn’t told you.”

“I don’t have a key, Lil.”

“So? That’s a minor, workable detail.” She laughs. “We’ll just tell the super that you left your medication in there and you have to get it back before Jack gets home from his business trip.”

“That could work.”

This is not the right thing to do.

“I’ll meet you there in ten.” I hit the End call button.

It might not be the right thing to do but I’m doing it. What can it hurt? If he doesn’t want to talk to me, I’ll figure out why on my own.

The super was more than easy and let me into Jack’s apartment with no questions asked. Apparently, I’m on the list of accepted people in his life so he didn’t even stay to make sure I got what I needed and left.

“Now, what?” I glance at Lily who is already going through drawers in the kitchen.

“Start looking for things.” She’s obviously done this before.

“What am I looking for?”

“Proof that he’s not always at work. Women’s underwear, condom wrappers.”

“Ew…” It’s at moments like these I question my friendship with Lily, but also thank the Lord above that I have her.

“Well… it’s what men do, Ems.”

“I hope it’s not what Jack does…” I walk into his bedroom. Everything is perfectly clean, the bed made, no dirty clothes and the curtains closed. I glance through a couple of drawers but he’s so anal about everything there’s no reason to even dig: the shirt drawer has shirts, the sock drawer has socks, yadda, yadda, yadda. Nothing exciting anywhere.

“Find anything?”

“No… you?”

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