HE NEVER LEFT.

ble to turn it off. For a few seconds, I just laid in bed, staring a

ctly where I'd left it the night before, charging on the bedside table. I picked it u

ery open app before going to bed. I checked my recent

might've been overthinking but chang

g my phone while I slept, they

saw my phone screen light up. At this point

was another night shift, and I ref

e singing in the kitchen. For the first

d to me, as I walked down th

g Zara," I sat down on the counter i

ome?" She replied, fl

led out to my dog. Susie came running in from the co

d. It was a te

May

ne for a moment be

aniel, is

ara, as she walked to the

hard at a text message," she laughed

to the table to eat.

around the block. We got back home in the even

ked out of the house. I took a cab to work as usual and saw Am

ngly early today

at me. I had always

needed to leave th

ng trouble with their relationship. They were toxi

eplied, as we walke

some charts on my computer as usual.

Reed," I said as

oth watching a video on his phone and laugh

Ma

and responded to

mfort in his chest region. I checked it out a

you have nothing

ctor will be coming to atten

ed me an

iel called

iel, wha

eakfast after your shif

" I sm

n returned bac

hen someone pulled m

t th

ulled me into the

upt your conversation wi

nderstand what he was talking a

y boyfriend." I sai

alking about then?" H

Jason." I replied, at

back to him. He tried to kiss me

" He a

opped whatever is going on

e what I said hurt him, but there was nothing I could

of

y eyes at

onship anyway, why are

and turned h

but it's over now. We'

any of it real?"

s real. But there's no way this

st silence. Seeing he wasn't going to reply to me, I wal

he look o

". I nodde

ded to a few more patients and checked on Mr R

ady to go, he still had work to do

coffee at a

ook back, but there was no one there. Maybe I had imagined it. But each

leather jacket and a cap. He turned into an alley.

pped my bag. I bent down to pick it up and the next