I stood outside the venue, watching luxury cars pull up one after another to collect their well-dressed passengers or to drop them off, while I stood there trying to figure out how exactly I was supposed to get ho.
I’d expected Hansel to co after , but of course, it was an illusion. I was the one who walked out, so why was I expecting special treatnt?
But right now, I desperately needed to go ho
Ho.
That was a joke. Hansel’s penthouse wasn’t ho.
And after what just happened, after the things he’d said to , I’d rather sleep under a bridge than go back there.
Except I had nowhere else to go.
The reality of my situation hit like a punch to the gut. I had no money; my phone was still with Hansel, and I had no idea where I even was in relation to anywhere I knew. And the sky above grew darker by the second, promising heavy rain.
The lights at the entrance blurred in my vision, and for a second, I thought maybe I could sit on the curb and cry until morning.
I was seriously contemplating that when a sleek black car pulled up to the curb in front of , and I stepped aside automatically to let whoever it was get out. But the engine kept running, and after a mont the window rolled down smoothly.
"Need a ride?"
I knew that voice. Would have known it anywhere, unfortunately.
I bent down to look through the window, and sure enough, Caleb sat in the driver’s seat looking at with concern in his eyes. He was still in his tuxedo from the event, probably leaving after Isabella’s performance to avoid any awkward questions.
"No," I said flatly, already turning away. "I’d rather walk."
"Naya, wait." His voice stopped , and I hated myself for letting it. "Look, I know things are complicated between us. I know I hurt you. But it’s about to pour, you don’t have a coat, and unless I’m very wrong, you don’t have any way to get wherever you’re going."
Thunder rumbled overhead as if to emphasise his point, and I felt the first drops of rain hit my bare shoulders. I looked up at the sky, then down at my expensive dress and ridiculous heels, then back at Caleb’s car with its warm interior and promise of not getting soaked.
Pride versus practicality. And practicality was currently winning because I was tired and heartbroken and so completely done with this entire disaster of an evening.
"Fine," I said through gritted teeth, yanking open the passenger door and sliding into the seat before I could change my mind. "But this doesn’t an anything. You’re just giving a ride. That’s it."
"Of course." He pulled away from the curb smoothly. "Where to?"
I gave him Hansel’s building address, then imdiately regretted it because he’d now know where I was staying. But what choice did I have? It wasn’t like I could make him drop off at so random corner in the rain.
We drove in silence for a few minutes, the only sound the gentle swish of the windshield wipers as the rain started coming down harder. I kept my eyes fixed out the window, watching the city lights blur and sar through the water on the glass.
"So," Caleb said eventually, and I could hear him trying for casual and friendly. "Hansel Ward, huh? That’s quite the upgrade."
I didn’t answer because I didn’t trust myself to speak without screaming.
"I saw what happened with Isabella," he continued, apparently taking my silence as permission to keep talking. "That was rough. She didn’t an anything by it, you know. She’s just scared about the surgery, and she gets emotional when she’s scared."
Surgery. Right. Because Isabella was dying, and that sohow excused everything.
"I don’t want to talk about Isabella," I said quietly.
"Okay. Okay, fair enough." He drumd his fingers on the steering wheel, and I recognised that nervous habit from all the years we’d spent together. "How’s your mom doing? Any improvent?"
The question took by surprise, stealing the air from my lungs. He didn’t know. Of course, he didn’t know. Why would he? He’d been too busy marrying my stepsister to notice that I’d lost the most important person in my life.
"She’s dead," I said flatly. "Died three days ago. You would have known that if you’d bothered to check on even once after you abandoned at the altar."
The car swerved slightly before Caleb got it back under control. "Naya, I—God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know."
"Why would you?" I turned to look at him for the first ti since getting in the car. "You made your choice. You chose Isabella. You don’t get to pretend you still care about what happens to ."
We stopped at a red light, and Caleb reached into the backseat to grab sothing. When he turned back, he was holding a manila folder.
"Actually, there’s sothing I need you to sign," he said, pulling out a form and handing it to along with a pen. "It’s about the apartnt."
I stared at the papers, my brain sluggish with exhaustion. "What about it?"
"The lease is in both our nas, rember? Now that you’ve moved out, we need to transfer it fully to my na. It’s just a formality, but the landlord is being strict about it." He gave that smile, the one that used to make feel safe and loved. Now it just made tired. "I know it’s bad timing, but if you could just sign where I’ve marked, it would really help out. Save a lot of legal hassle."
The light turned green, and he started driving again, leaving holding the papers in my lap. I should read them and look through every line to make sure this was really what he said.
But my eyes were burning with unshed tears, and my head was pounding, and I just wanted this day to be over. What did it matter anyway? I didn’t want anything to do with that apartnt, didn’t want any ties to Caleb or the life we’d built together. Let him have it. Let him have everything.
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