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James

I looked out theas the sun came up The roads outside were empty, just like my apartment

I’d just had the best night of

Audrey was gone She’d gotten up as soon as I’d said those horrible words She left in her sweatpants and a tank top, leaving the wardrobe that Elena had packed for her behind I’d followed her out of the bedroom and silently watched as she’d thrown on a pair of aviator sunglasses and grabbed her pocketbook

“Do you want to take the car?” I asked just as she was almost out the door

She turned, pushing her sunglasses down on her nose to look at me “James” She looked as if my name tasted like poison in her mouth “Go fk yourself”

Then she slammed the door behind her

I didn’t blah I had forced her to leave, I hated that she was gone

I hated myself even more

I got dressed for the gyht now

Audrey

I was sitting in the coh the early raphic novel He’d been happy to see ether, both cohts, him in his novel

Jaht For the first ti back I ith hile cell in ed to him

I was his escort His hired plaything But there was so real that you couldn’t pay for or pretend

I’d thought he felt it, too

So Fucking Stupid

Tommy reached over and patted my shoulder “What’s the matter?” he asked

“Nothing,” I lied He watched me for a second and then went back to his book I went back to my study of the dust motes I loved Tommy He was the one person who loved me and noas sure, the one person in the world I could trust

And now I didn't knoas going to be able to keep him safe

“Elena, I’ back tears I paced back and forth inside my apartment “I told you, I don’t knohy he did it”

“He ,” she wailed I held the phone back from my ear and winced

I fked his brains out, and then he told me I was fired, I wanted to say That was the truth