Me: I’ll be here.
This might be hopeless, but tell that to my heart.
Chapter Nine
CATO
Standing in my apartment is more depressing than I imagined after such an amazing weekend. The remnants of my relationship with Kyle are scattered about: his sweater draped on the couch, a book he was reading, the vacation brochures we looked at together still on the coffee table.
I quickly gather them, putting them in a pile on the dining room table. Tomorrow I’ll take the sweater and book to the post office to mail them back, even though he lives less than ten miles from here. The last thing I want is to see him again.
After a shower, I sit on my couch, gazing at my phone. I want to tell Tigo I miss him, but that seems so weird and clingy. He’s probably working. In a few days, he likely won’t even remember me. He’ll meet more people and drop that sexy smile on them.
We live different lives in different places. I don’t regret anything from this weekend, but it sure does suck now that it’s over. I read over the messages between Tigo and me.
Me: If I close my eyes, I can still smell the ocean.
I don’t know why I send that. Just rubbing salt in my wound again.
Tigo: When I close my eyes, I can still see you.
Butterflies fill my stomach, leaving me slightly breathless.
Me: This is harder than I thought.
Tigo: For real.
A few seconds later, a second text comes through.
Tigo: Can I hear your voice?
Me: Yes.
My phone rings, bringing a smile to my face.
“Hey,” I answer.
“Hi, Cato.” He’s quiet. All I can hear is his breath. “I said I wasn’t going to say a bunch of crazy shit.”
“Same.”
“There’s this movie on Prime I’ve been meaning to watch. It’s got an Indiana Jones vibe to it. Want to watch it together?”
“Together?”
Tigo chuckles. “Yeah. We have phones. We could video chat and watch it. What do you say?”
“That’s creative and adorable. I’m in.” I press the video call button, and when his face fills my screen, my chest squeezes around my heart. “Hey.”
Tigo grins. “Fuck, you’re hot.”
“So are you.”
“Ready?”
“I am.”
As I settle back on the couch with a movie on the TV and Tigo on my phone, I feel a mixture of sadness and joy. He’s not into long-distance things, so what are we doing? I don’t know, but for now, I’ll take it.