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Present

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Present

Ollie: If you don't answer my next call I am going to fly back home, I swear to Christ, Muriel.

I scoff and shove the phone into the back pocket of my unbuttoned jeans. He can come back to London all he wants but I have no intention of seeing him.

I'm much too confused and every time he's in my face everything becomes even more muddled and amatory. Things that should be straight forward, for example, keeping Ollie out my heart becomes entangled.

If I knew coming here would throw a wrench into my plans I never would have come here to begin with. All that's happened has made everything even messier than what it already was.

And every time he speaks to me with those perfect words and sweet gestures only causes my resolve to unavoidably thin.

With space comes clarity. And it is so clear to me now. I have no business in being with Oliver Thomas.

With one toss I throw in an armful of clothes into my suitcase spread open on my unmade bed.

Rushing back to the closet I rip off more clothes from the hangers and come back to the bed stuffing them into the suitcase then close the flap and zip it closed.

My pocket vibrates. Once, twice, three times informing me it isn't a text but an incoming phone call.

My stomach twists and churns and I fish my phone from my back jeans pocket and read Ollie's name blinking on the screen.

My conscience tells me to stop what I'm doing and answer it.

I know I should.

But all he's going to do is talk me into being a stupid girl. The stupid girl who is blind to her dad being an adulterer and a girl who is blind to her ex-boyfriend's clear unhappiness. The stupid girl who waits for a man while he's out with this actress or that model. Me, Muriel, always the blind and stupid girl.

"Not happening," I tell him as well as myself and disconnect the incoming call and to add salt to the wound set my phone to airplane mode.

I knew the Uber would be here in five minutes to pick me up. I don't need my phone turned on for any reason.

Hell, when I had no phone on my mission trips I was so much happier anyway.

With that thought, I immediately feel much better and stuff my feet into my white shoes and lace them. I hurry into the bathroom and throw my things into the toiletry bag and zip it up and return to the suitcase on the bed and stuff it into the front pocket of my suitcase.

I turn the lights off and leave my room silently.

Everyone is asleep and the Thomas house is dark and silent so I slip out without being heard and climb into the Uber that is waiting for me across the street...

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