The Illusion (Book Two in The Illusion of Certainty Series)

Next To Him

Chapter Two

(Skip The Charades by Cold War Kids)

I couldn’t believe it. He was really gone. I folded the letter back up and put it in the envelope. I walked calmly out of Michael’s apartment and closed the door. I walked back across campus and to my parents’ apartment. I walked inside and passed my brother and back to my room. I sat down on my bed and stared at the carpet.

Michael was gone.

Gone.

“Georgiana?” Luke said. “It’s six thirty.”

I looked over at my clock and nodded. “It is.”

I looked up at him. I searched his face wondering if he knew Michael was gone. I held out the envelope and he came in, closing the door behind him. He took the envelope and read the letter. He then looked back at me.

“He’s gone,” I said.

“Yes,” Luke said carefully. “He is.”

“You knew.”

“Yes.”

“Since last week?”

“Yes. I helped him make the decision.”

“What?” I hopped up. “You…”

“He was miserable, Georgiana. Wouldn’t you be, if you saw the person you loved happy with someone else?”

“Luke…you had no right.”

“I did what was best for both of you. He needed to move on, you were happy.”

“You don’t know that. How could you know that?”

“Because I’ve never seen you that happy before. When you’re with Aidan…its like a light switches on. I see it, he saw it.”

“I didn’t want him to leave.”

“You can’t have both, Georgiana. You couldn’t be with him, so he left.”

I sat down and my hand immediately found Michael’s tag. The metal was chilly against my fingers. I hadn’t tucked it under my shirt when I went outside.

“Georgiana!” my father called from down the hallway.

I snapped out of my reserve and stood up. “Back here.”

I tucked the necklace in my shirt and my father appeared in the doorway. Luke had opened the door and stood off to the side.

“What’s going on?” he asked after seeing my face. I was never able to hide anything from him.

“Michael’s gone.”

“I know. He turned in his resignation last week.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

He frowned. “Luke, can you give us a moment?”

“Sure.”

Luke ducked out of the room and closed the door. “Honey, he was supposed to tell you. He assured me he would.”

I shook my head, holding back more tears. “No. I didn’t find out till…this morning. He—he left me a—a note.”

“Georgiana…sit down.”

He ushered me over to my bed and I sat down. He sat next to me and took my hand. “Honey, you’re shaking.”

“He just left. He promised he’d never leave.”