a date, just as a friend. Absolutely no obligation at all. I'

to check on me?" She doesn't look annoyed, just

-with-one-stone thing. I don't want to spend the weekend at this house al

curve up.

out, he might have had second thou

wasn't a dat

, because we live on opposite sides

that case, the

You haven'

take that as

I smile. "Wi

to go on a platonic date with the

f cocktail evening on Friday night, so I thought I could pick you up in the af

," sh

hing al

. "Someone's at the door

ka

inutes and I'll

ur

t completely. I don't think she's realized she's still transmitting. I

call. But then I hear her say, "What the hell ar

my business, and waited for her to call back. But before I left,

rse," I

er, email address, and physical address. "Just a ph

r boyfriend a few months before, but this was the

he says, "but she's told my siste

In wha

o report it to the police, but she doesn't think Heidi's called

alked to he

bject. I worry abou

don't know that she'd be likely to tell me a

eemed to click last time you m

the only conversation we had was with our tongues.

do would be greatly appreciated." An

x might be at her door has put me in a difficult position. I wait a

says: I need

I'm

mean? Have you

ang, and an

Jason! You can't jus

uld I do? Phone the police? I pick

e is he?

body here. I wa

were you

your business. I

this. I just

g to talk about. We're done. You'

ing to accept it.

've got to stop calling and messaging me. What you're doing-i

e you. And I'm trying to sh

nk? Jesus. You'r

e you talkin

n old

om New

in London, and we'

have feeli

u were a fraction of the man that

hed if I wasn

say that.

you fucki

he hell is the emergency number out here? It's 1-1-1 in New Zealand

ase, I l

feet, a squeal from Heidi that makes me le

Jesus...

hefuckout

Hei

saging me on social media. We're done, and if I see you here

ling, then the ban

as if she threw him out. Good on her. Do I wait for

hen the squeak of t

rror, she burs

sten to her, one hand over my mouth. At least she's safe, for no

n the connection is cut-s

she call me back when she feels better? I wait f

my ear. After a few rings, it goes to voicemail. She's tur

t want to talk to me right now, and I need to honor that. I'

k of her deep sobs, and Huxley's concern for her. She has family here, and plenty of friends, I'm sure. She doesn't

f the man that he is, we

le calendar and see what I have