Page 2 of Stay With Me
I answer. “Hey, what’s up?”
“You good?”
“I’m fine.” I lie.
“Rumor has it that Jenna just drove out of town,” he says.
“How the fuck does anyone know that yet? Maybe she’s just going shopping.” I drop my head on the back of the couch.
“If that were the case, you wouldn’t have said it the way you did. What happened, man?”
“I don’t know. She said she couldn’t live in this town anymore and handed me divorce papers. I was blindsided.”
Saying it out loud makes it more real. Doubt swirls in my chest. Is this all my fault? Maybe if I paid more attention, I would have seen this coming.
I hear movement on the phone. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, but you aren’t. I’m on my way over with pizza and beer, but you’re only having one because getting drunk isn’t the answer.”
“Thanks, man,” I tell him, happy that I don’t have to sit at home alone right now.
“You’d do the same for me. I’ll be there in fifteen. Have you called your mom?” he asks as I hear his car starting.
I shake my head. “No. It just happened.”
“Call her. I’ll bring enough food in case she stops by.”
“I can tell her tomorrow. Today is the anniversary of my dad’s passing.”
“Fuck. It is. She had to do it today? Call your mom anyway. She’ll be pissed if she finds out from someone else in town.”
I know he’s right, but I don’t want to upset her more than she already is. “Fine. I’ll see you in a few.”
“See you,” he says and hangs up.
My finger hovers over my mom’s contact. With a deep breath, I hit dial.
“Hey, sweetheart. I just got back from the cemetery and the grocery store. Give me one second while I unlock the door.”
The rustling of grocery bags fills my ears as I wait for her on the phone.
“Okay, sorry. Are you still there?” she says, slightly out of breath.
I decide to just rip it off like a Band-Aid. “Jenna left me. She handed me divorce papers and just left.”
“Wait, what? I’m on my way over,” she says as I hear the bags rustle again and the door open.
“Mom, put the groceries away. Carter said he would come over, and he’s bringing pizza.”
“Noah Walter Andrews. I will bring my damn groceries over to you and sit with you and Carter if I want to. If you think I’mgoing to sit here at home after you told me that, you don’t know me at all. Are you okay?”
I take a deep breath and tell her the truth. “No, not really.”
“Okay, then. I’ll be over in ten. I’ll make your favorite snacks, and we’ll have a beer or two with Carter.”
“Thanks.” My voice cracks.
“Anything for you, Noah. I’ll be there soon,” she says and hangs up.
