Page 14 of When Forever Falls Apart

Eva remains quiet, but her unrelenting stare is warning me to shut the hell up. I know how to push my brother’s buttons when needed.

“Oh, so another ex? A soccer player, huh?” Aston throws his questions at Eva with jealousy lacing every word. “When was this?”

I purse my lips with satisfaction. “So many questions. It’s not a romance novel, Aston. He was a well-endowed, famous Australian soccer player. There, happy?”

“Maddy!” Eva shrieks, then buries her head in her hands.

Sitting in front of me is my phone. I pick it up and glance at the time. It’s just after eight and the perfect time to escape. “I guess I’d better get out of here. Big day ahead of me.”

“I’m coming with you,” Eva hisses through her gritted teeth.

“Uh, no, you’re not,” Aston says. “We’re not finished discussing this.”

“You have a meeting in twenty minutes. Remember work? Your mistress who demands all your time?”

“You hate sports,” Aston mumbles beneath his breath.

I slide off the stool. “Okay, now I’m really out of here.” With my purse in hand, I exit the apartment faster than you can say trainwreck. Both of them are stubborn at the best of times, so this was never going to end well. I should feel guilty for causing an unnecessary fight, but it serves my brother right, since he kept his encounter with Myles from me.

As I step outside the building, the warm air sweeps past in a breeze, but it’s quickly accompanied by an unwelcome odor that makes me wrinkle my nose. Despite the foul scent, I choose to walk over to Broadway instead of hailing a cab or boarding the subway. The long walk will clear my mind, and I have nothing else to do.

In the distance, a siren wails, blending in with the blare of horns. Being back in the city keeps my mind occupied.Everywhere you look, something is happening. From the groups of young kids off to school, to the corporate men in suits on their cell phones. On the corner of the street, a hot dog vendor is arguing with a man. Their loud voices barely make a noise in the hum of the city.

Across from them is a coffee shop. I decide to join the impatient patrons waiting in line, knowing coffee is essential if I intend to last the day without crashing out from jet lag again.

After the girl at the counter calls my name, I take my coffee and continue my walk to the Greystone Theater. The warm aroma awakens my senses, enticing me to lean in and take a sip. The rich yet slightly bitter roast is exactly what I crave.

By the time I’m standing in front of the old building, which once felt like a second home, my cup is empty, but my stomach is full of knots. I can stand here and pretend it will be easy, or I can run away like a coward. What if Myles is inside? This will be our first encounter since the wedding. My speech isn’t prepared, nor is my lengthy explanation as to why I chose to humiliate him in front of his friends and family.

Or, for that matter, the entire world.

I even slacked off by wearing a simple tank and a short denim skirt, paired with my Dunks as usual. My hair took a beating from all the time in the ocean, so I threw it up into a bun—also to avoid it clinging to the sweat on the back of my neck.

Nothing about me screamsI have my life together, just in case I run into Myles and he thinks I’ve moved on so easily.

I close my eyes. “Just do it. Rip the Band-Aid off.”

I throw my cup into the trash can on the sidewalk, then step inside the historic building. Instantly, the foyer brings a wave of nostalgia. The plush red carpet stretches beneathmy feet, a vibrant contrast to the opulent gold wallpaper adorning the walls.

The ticket booth, with its quaint little window, is usually bustling on performance nights as patrons line up. Sometimes, it is so crammed in here that you’re barely able to move.

Taking a breath, I find my way to the grand double doors and step into the sprawling auditorium. The sheer magnitude of the space ignites my excitement, the high ceilings soaring like the open sky. I pause, struck by the memories flooding back of all the productions and of meeting the man I was supposed to spend my life with.

A smile sweeps across my lips as the echoes of applause and laughter linger in the air, and for a moment, time stands still as I savor the magic that once filled this room when this was my entire world.

The stage takes over the far end, framed with heavy red velvet curtains. I notice someone sitting on the edge, reading a playbook or a manuscript. As I walk down the aisle toward the stage, the woman lifts her head.

“Maddy?” Stella calls. “Is that really you?”

I nod with a friendly smile, watching Stella run down the steps to throw her arms around me. We spent most of last year working together on productions, so I’m not surprised to see her here.

“I missed you, girl.” Stella pulls me down to take a seat. “How have you been? Argh, what am I even asking? Stupid question!”

“It’s okay. I’ve been… well… trying to move on with life.”

“Of course.” She nods. “It wasn’t an easy decision.”

Just now, I remember Stella was invited to the wedding. Therefore, she would have been waiting with the other guests when the news broke.