Page 40 of The End of Me

He glances at Mom. “Thank you for inviting me, Thea. When are we meeting for dinner again?”

Pa pats him on the shoulder. “Next Monday? We can make it a weekly or monthly event. You guys can host it sometimes too.”

“Why wasn’t I invited?” Florence glares at Pa.

“It was an impromptu dinner, but now that we plan for more, you’ll be joining, yes?” Pa’s casual voice calms Florence.

She smiles. “Of course. We’re family.”

I stay for a few more minutes while they’re planning the meals and move throughout the room, talking with my family.

When I encounter the elevator, I can’t help but step inside, hoping to quiet the buzzing of voices taking over the room. It quiets down, and as I close the horizontal doors and the gate, there’s welcome silence. I lean against the metallic door, closing my eyes for a second.

I don’t mean to be ungrateful, but this is the first time in months that I’ve been surrounded by so many people. Once I feel less overwhelmed, I press the button to climb to the next floor. I stop at the second story, where there are rooms with different instruments, including a piano.

The third story has a recording studio. I can’t help but clap when I realize he even added a piano and a drum. I don’t use those instruments often, but I can entice Pa or my family to come and play.

The fourth story is a workshop. There are different tools and machines to create crafts. The fifth story is like an apartment with two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a fully functional kitchen. I could set up a small living room and an office in the middle. The best part of the building is the roof.

There’s a green room, a furnished patio with a firepit included, and even a grill.

Archer made this place perfectly functional. There’s an overpass to the roof next door with a similar setup to the top that will house my studio. I cross it and smile as I realize that maybe I can play here at night—but not so late that I’d get into trouble with the neighbors.

“Here you are,” Gabe says from the other side. “Everyone is looking for you.”

“Sorry, I had to come and explore. This place is amazing.”

He nods. “Arch knew you’d love it.”

Hugging myself, I say, “I miss him.”

“You still feel him?”

I tap my chest at the rhythm of his beating heart. “Yep. I just don’t know where he is and if he’s okay.”

“Well, when he’s back, you’ll have to think of a better present than this view and the chance to play to the city—without the snooty neighbors complaining to the management office.”

“Is that why he bought it?”

Gabe nods. “It’s one of the reasons.”

He points at the apartment building. “The top floor is empty. Instead of having three units to rent, it’s one big floor with a kitchen and a bathroom. The owner used to live there. There’s no rent control on that floor. You can furnish it and have guests, rent it, or do whatever you want.”

I nod a couple of times. “Is there a management office that can help me with my property?”

Gabe nods. “I’m pretty sure that’s covered. Seth and the lawyer know more about it. Now tell me, how are you doing?”

“Meaning?” I sound obtuse, but with my family, I have to be careful what I say.

The last thing I want is to worry them because I’m going through cycles of anxiety and depression. So far, I’ve masked them pretty well, but anything I say can hint at my state of mind.

“It’s been almost seven months since he went missing. You pretended to be okay for five minutes and then had a meltdown that lasted forever.” He shrugs before shoving his hands in the front of his pockets. “For all I know, you could be faking that you’re fine.”

“I’ve been okay for the last five months. At least, I think it’s been that long.” I shrug because I only keep count of how long it’s been since the last time I was in Archer’s arms—almost nine months. Everything else is a blur.

Am I okay?

“The process of learning to function without my soulmate is slow. More so when I know he’ll be coming home soon.”

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