DEVOTED

ten

BILLIE
after eight long hours, I was walking into the lobby of my apartment building with a sigh, I search for my keys while making my way to the elevator.

"Ms O'Connell, we have a package for you" I look up at the receptionist and accept it giving him a thank you and smile.

I smile to myself knowing it's the package from ash, I hurry to make it to my apartment and lock the door while removing my work clothes and FaceTime ash.

"hello" she sings out while driving somewhere, I pour myself a small glass of wine before putting it away.

"I'm home and I've got the package" I say showing the package, she nods letting me open it. I dig through the paper and smile at the book with Asher Miller written at the bottom.

"you wrote another book?" I ask smiling widely at the beautiful cover. A walk to walk again- is written on the cover.

"I did but it's not any book" she says with a smile, "while I was there we had that argument about the girl I was staying with and you were jealous about her, when though there was no need to" she tells me making me roll my eyes.

"shut up" I laugh hiding my face.

"anyways.. there is really no need to be jealous of her, she was my first relationship, sure but also my worst relationship" she chuckles while parking, "and I don't write books about her" she adds making my jaw drop when I turn over to the back to read the description.

An unfinished conversation from a turbulent time
The unfinished drops of a glass of red wine
Each unfinished task you moved on from
It was unfinished business when you were long gone
An unfinished dinner I could no longer swallow
The Unfinished sentence I failed to follow.
The relationship unfinished long after the love had been forgotten.

"you wrote a book about us?" I ask as my eye well up with tears.

she nods while looking at me, "our story is so unfinished, I truly believe that. the day you felt? it possibly couldn't have been the end of us, it was so unfinished" she chuckles while shaking her head.

"it really isn't" I chuckle wiping my tears, she smiles while running her hand through her hair making me see a glimpse o pf her ring, "in a way I'm glad you feel that way though, that might sound selfish but I really don't care" I tell her.

"I don't know what I would have done if you were completely over me and moved on" I say biting my lip, she chuckles while tilting her head to the side.

"now.. I didn't mention your name or anything nor did I make a new name for you in the book, it is just kind of vague and a switch between poems, story and moments. I really fell in love with this book and I wasn't planning on publishing it but I want people to read it" she tells me making me blush.

"I'm sure I will love it, I'm actually so excited" I beam bringing it up for a smell, nothing beats the smell of a new book.

"I need to go but enjoy it yeah? there should be a bottle of wine in the box" she tells me while taking her phone, I nod biting my lip.

"I definitely will, have fun tonight" I tell her, "you look very handsome" I tell her seeing her dressed in one of her suits.

"thank you baby, I love you"

"I love you too ash" I blow her a kiss before we hang up, I dig through the box and put the wine in my cellar before running to take a seat on the couch with the book.

I page through to the second page and the first small poems reads,
You and I are an unfinished poem.
There's so much more to say,
we could have been
the sweetest story written on crumpled papers
and heard on gratifying mouths,
but unfinished poems are;
just left unsaid and undone.