Before You Go

Chapter Fifteen

It's a Friday morning, and I woke up half an hour later than I usually do. I overslept, and woke up only to find that I had snoozed my alarm, so I quickly showered and left. I didn't even get the chance to eat the overnight oats I had prepared the night before. They should turn into a disgusting mush by the time I get home.

Carter has been gone since yesterday early morning and he won't be back home until late tonight. He left while I was still asleep, and didn't even let me know he was leaving which was odd for him since he always did let me know.

Seeing a green dot beside his name on my screen, I press the call button. I needed to talk to him anyways because some of Cynthia's mail arrived and I have no idea where she lives so I can't forward it to her.

He picks up on the fifth ring.

"Hello?" he says on the other line, his voice sounding annoyed.

"Hey, Carter. This is Valentine." I say carefully as I turn at a corner. "Do you happen to know Cynthia's current address?"

"Why would I have her address? Why do you need it?"

"We got some of her mail. I want to forward it to her." I say, a little reluctantly. I don't even know why I'm hesitating. "It's from the bank. It might be important."

"I think I still have her number in my phone." he says. "I'll send it to you."

"You have her number?" I ask in surprise, but it comes out sounding jealous.

"Yeah for instances like these when we need to send her mail to her." he says, his tone rushed and almost sarcastic.

"Am I calling in a bad time?" I ask, a little agitated with him. "I can always call back."

"I'm sorry, Val. But yeah, kind of a bad time. I've really got to go now. I'll see you later." he sighs and with that, he ends the call and leaves me hanging.

I look at the screen with a frown, and honestly a fairly disappointed that he didn't even greet me a happy birthday.

But whatever. I'm twenty-seven, not seven. I don't need to pout because of it.

I arrive in the office just in time. Barry comes in just when I'm seated, and judging from the look on his face, he's about to tell me something I don't like.

"You wouldn't believe it." he says, and I sigh out in relief.

Whenever Barry breaks bad news to me like this, I know it isn't work related and it allows me to ease up. When it is work related, he always starts it with 'You're not going to like this'. But when it is good news, work and non-work related intros sound the same.

"Oh dear." I say. "What did Holden do this time?"

Holden is the man Barry has been dating for a few weeks now. I've never personally met him, but with all the things he has told me about him, it feels like I already do. Holden seems like a really nice guy when Barry's in a good mood, and a really shitty guy when he's in a bad mood. So it's really difficult for me to paint a picture of him.

"I caught him with another man this morning. He's married." he sighs and drops down to the chair. I almost choke on my own saliva.

"Married?"

"And the husband knows about me." he says. "They have an 'open relationship'. I can't be involved in a marriage whether it be open or not!"

"So I guess you found out why you two are not having dinner tonight?" I say in an attempt to lighten up the mood. He had come yesterday to rant about Holden busy during the fourteenth of February, after delivering to me news that my meeting was pushed up to today instead of next week.