Falling Helplessly

Chapter 38 | My Humps

38

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ISABELLA

"Wait, so you're—"

"Gay? Yeah," he says, like this isn't new information. "I thought you knew."

"I've only just met you!" I laugh. Truth be told, I feel much more relieved now that I don't have to worry about him catching feelings.

The bell to the cafe door jingles in the distance, but I don't have the strength to look at who sounded it. Every part of me wishes it was Miles coming back for me, but I have a strong sense that will not happen.

Max's voice draws me back to reality. "Did you think I was flirting with you before?"

Shit.

"You? Flirting with me? Pffft, no." I wave my hands dismissively, but he sees right through me and it makes him laugh.

"If I wasn't gay, I would've."

I shake my head. "You're crazy. But in all honestly, right back at you." My strange, roundabout compliment makes him smile and playfully nudge my shoulder.

"Not the first time I've been told that. Anyway, if you don't mind me asking, what happened between you and Mr. CEO?"

My eyebrows rise in surprise. "You know who he is?"

"He's on the cover of every magazine. Who doesn't know him?"

Oh, right. Every magazine.

I shrug my shoulders, contemplating how much information I should divulge. "We just had a falling out. I'm not sure what the reasons were though."

He groans. "No closure, that's the worst."

Tell me about it. I'm not even sure if we're broken up.

Eventually, we stand up and begin walking to my car.

"What happened between you and your ex, if you don't mind me asking either?" I ask, looking up at him.

"Walked in on him cheating." He makes a throw-up sound and shudders. "I dumped his sorry ass on the spot."

I can't help but shudder at the thought. "I'm sorry, nobody deserves that. But good for you for being able to stand up for yourself."

"Oh well, I enjoy being single."

We talk about his single life and his job until we reach my car. It's kind of weird to think I'm talking about such personal stuff with my future boss. I guess it's a good thing though, something to take my mind off everything.

Before I go, Max and I plan to get together on Sunday for coffee so he can meet Addy. I know they'll become great friends.

I make it back to my apartment and like every other night, I undress, shower, and finish some clinical paperwork. But tonight is different from other nights. Tonight, I don't cry.

Maybe seeing him wasn't such a bad thing, even if it wasn't the ideal circumstance. It wasn't the closure I need, but it seemed to put a band-aid on one of my gaping wounds. The others though, they're still wide open.

I miss him.

And I still love him.

Sighing, I roll onto my back, but my eyes spring open and I stare at my room. It feels oddly foreign. The apartment is absurdly quiet since Addy is staying at Jasper's. So, I connect my phone to my speaker and blare Bon Iver into my bedroom, not caring if my neighbors hear. It makes me feel better knowing that Miles isn't a couple of floors above me, avoiding me.