Page 82 of Somewhere Only We Know
Instead, there were dozens and dozens of photos ofme. From today. Eating congee. Walking through the park. Looking terrified on the tram. At Victoria Peak. Reading a book. At the harbor. Trying on glasses.
Wow, he had been super secretive about taking these. Looking at the day through his eyes, I felt a warmth seep through me. He was a phenomenally talented photographer. Each photo was so beautifully composed, using lighting thoughtfully—whether it was sun or shadow. All through a bit of a besotted lens, if I were being honest. I smiled.
Maybe, like me, he didn’t want to forget today. My heart beat quicker. Maybe he had deeper feelings, too. Maybe today didn’t have to be goodbye.
The electricity between us on the dance floor had been so intense, I knew it had to mean more.
I was about to put the phone back on the table when another text from this Trevor person popped up.
Lucky’s management has been in touch with us—wondering if we’ve spotted her. If I don’t hear back from you soon I might tell them. GET BACK TO ME ASAP JACK.
A roaring in my ears deafened me. The words in the text swam in front of me.
Photos. Story.
What’s your job, Jack?
Oh my God.
I couldn’t breathe.
Jack’s been moonlighting as—
I couldn’t think, my senses overwhelmed by the pounding music, the stifling heat of the club, the lights flashing in sync to the music. From everything finally clicking into place.
I couldn’t be here.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
JACK
The cold water felt good as I splashed it on my face. I’d felt overheated for hours. I turned off the rusty faucet with a screech and stared at myself in the bathroom mirror.
Up until a few hours ago, I had been very okay with who I was. And then… then it all changed. Not only because we kissed and because she was lighting me on fire every time she looked at me. But because I had been justifying lying to her with this job opportunity.
But now? The job felt so insignificant next to my feelings for Lucky.
What is a quality life?
Stability? Passion? I still wasn’t sure about all the details. But I knew one thing: A quality life involved caring for people. Being good to them. Being a good personfor themin addition to yourself. Like your family. Friends.
Girlfriend.
I dropped my head into my hands, ruffled my hair, and looked up.
Figure it out. You’ve gotten out of every kind of sticky situation.
When I headed back to our table, I didn’t see her. I looked around; maybe this wasn’t the right table. But she wasn’t anywhere in sight. Was she on the dance floor? I made my way over there, trying to find that lavender sweatshirt in the throngs of dancers. The crowd had thinned and I still didn’t see her.
My palms got sweaty, my breathing shallow. Did someone recognize her? Did her security find her?
That’s when I saw it. My phone. Sitting on a table.
No.
Shit, shit, shit.
I grabbed it and saw that there were no unread messages, but when I looked at my texts, there were a ton of new ones from Trevor. And they wereread. The last one had said:Lucky’s management has been in touch with us—wondering if we’ve spotted her. If I don’t hear back from you soon I might tell them. GET BACK TO ME ASAP JACK.
