← Back
I told her goodnight. I told her I accepted her apology. I said I’d see her on Monday and we could be adults about it.
There was a very long silence on the other side of the door.
“Okay,” Kat said. Her voice was small. “Goodnight, Dani.”
I listened to her footsteps going down the corridor, and I hated myself with the full force of my training as an account manager.
I packed. I set my alarm for five, left a note for Gareth about a family emergency (my nan’s cat, but it was true in spirit) and crept out to catch the six-ten to Paddington.
It was still dark. The carriage was empty. I put my head against the cold window and tried to think about spreadsheets.
My phone buzzed.
A message from Kat. No words. Just a photo, taken in the corridor mirror: her in the grey hoodie, hair loose, eyes red, holding a sticky note against her ribs, over the tattoo. It said, “STICK THE LANDING.” And underneath, in her own handwriting: “I’m not going to chase you. But I’ll be at my desk on Monday at eight, and the door’s open.”
I stared at the screen. My thumb hovered. Behind my ribs I could feel the memory of her knee between my thighs, the drag of her breath on my cheek, the way she’d said, quite softly, I’m turned on too.
The train pulled out of the station.
I typed one word, Eight, sent it, and put my head back against the window and smiled at the dark.
Ending 16 of 16: Early Train. Go back and try a different choice for the full happy ending.