Page 54 of Devoured

“I miss you too. I know I’ve been a shit friend. But maybe one day soon the four of us could hang out again. Like old times.”

“Like old times,” he repeated back to me. Like he couldn’t even understand the phrase.

I was ready to move forward. But he wasn’t. I got that. But he needed to keep going too. “I’m getting a divorce,” I said. “From Isabella.” I don’t know why I added that last part. Probably because of the silence on the other end.

“Rob told me. I don’t know why you ever married her in the first place. After everything she did.”

“I thought I deserved her. After everything that happened.”

“You worked that out with your therapist, huh?”

“He certainly helped, yeah.”

Another long pause. “Well, no one deserves Isabella.”

I smiled. “Thanks, man. I was also really high.”

Matt laughed. “Yeah. I remember. Do you even remember your wedding day?”

“Barely.”

“I guess that’s probably a good thing in this case.”

Yeah. I wanted to ask him if he still pictured getting married one day. But I was afraid I already knew the answer.

“I’m happy for you,” Matt said. “That you’re finally walking away from Wizzy. And that you’re going to therapy and working through your shit. And all that.”

“Thanks.” But that wasn’t why I was calling. I already knew that deep down Matt still cared about me. Because I cared about him. I was calling to make sure he knew I was sorry. And to make sure he was okay. But I wasn’t really sure he accepted my apology. And he didn’t sound okay to me.

“Rumor has it that you might be getting to take over MAC International after all,” I said.

“We’ll see. Things have a way of not working out how I imagine they will.”

“I think you’re due for a lucky streak.” I hoped he did take over his father’s company. He’d always wanted it more than Mason.

“I really should go. I have some drywall to put up.”

Okay then.I’d said what I’d needed to. He knew I was here for him, whenever he was ready. Our relationship was strained right now. But I was determined to fix it. Whether he wanted me to or not. “Tell Mason I say hi. And your mom and dad.”

“Will do.” He hung up.

I stared down at my phone. There were still no messages or calls from Penny. I knew she needed time. But I also knew I wasn’t going to walk away from us. And I needed to make sure she knew that.

I called her and it went straight to voicemail.

I sighed. Patience had never been one of my virtues.

I needed a distraction. So I ran.

I graded papers.

I went for another run.

I ate cold pizza with Ian.

I showered. Not with Ian.

And I called Penny again before climbing into bed. Again it went to voicemail.

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