Page 42 of Don't Tell Me How It Ends
“Every day before I came home, the same questions ran through my mind on a loop:Who am I? What do I want? Where do I go from here?They’re the same questions I’ve been asking myself forever. And I’d always assumed the answers were gonna beout there,but clearly that was wrong, because I’ve been out there now, and I’m just as lost as I ever was.”
Ro pulls to a stop outside my front door as I finish.
“Maybe to get better answers, I need to start asking better questions. Might as well try thirty-six of Zola’s.”
I start to shrug out of Ro’s hoodie, but he stops me. In the dim of night, I can’t make out every detail of Ro’s features, but I’ve already mentally mapped and memorized his face, his smile. I know the exact shape of his dimple, and I know that right now it’s there. On full display.
“Keep it. You’ve still got another twenty feet or so to go. Besides, it’ll give me an excuse to see you again. To find out how it ends.”
“Don’t worry,” I tell him as I hop down from his truck. “I’d never fade to black on you. Not after you saved me. Twice.”
11
7:46am
Ro:Morning. How you feeling?
Me:Like I want to crawl into a dark hole where only me and that pizza exist.
Me:And then die there
Me:I’m so sorry about last night.
Ro:Why?
Me:I think the clinical term is Emotionally Slutty™
Me:I normally wait until I’m alone to hit rock bottom.
Ro:Nah, you were fine.
Ro:Idk if this will help your hangover, but did your sister tell you she hit me up?
Ro:I had an interesting voicemail waiting for me this morning.
Me:Oh fuck. No.
Ro:Ha. I’ll wait to hit her back then.
Me:I apologize in advance for whatever she wants.
Ro:It’s work actually. For her company.
Me:The gift that keeps on giving.
Me:I can’t believe I have to do this two more times.
Ro:Your next date is when? Next Saturday?
Me:yes. Don’t remind me
Ro:looking for an out?
Me:What’d you have in mind?
Ro:I’m going to a street art exhibition in the city.
Me:OMG Yes.
