I return her pained face. “I didn’t tell him I was moving this week. He’s just been to the apartment.”
“Dude, you guys have been broken up for five months. What was he expecting?”
“I told him I was moving back here, but I think he thought it was just talk. I probably should have given him the date I’d be moving out so he could have organised to rent the apartment out. That’s probably what he’s going on about.”
“Um, no. Angus thought he could fool around on the side while keeping you in his rich daddy’s apartment, and now he’s shocked you meant it when you said you wouldn’t be running back to him. He doesn’t need the cash, Zar. He doesn’t give two shits about renting that apartment out. Not when the only shits he gives are about keeping you as his property.”
I arch my brows. “I see someone feels strongly about this.”
“Well one of us has to, and since you don’t seem to care at all about what he did, it has to be me.”
“I do care, Hols, but it also made me realise I don’t love him and that I don’t think I ever did.”
My phone buzzes again.
* * *
Angus: Zara. I can see you read the message.
Me: I told you I was moving. I moved. I left the key with Zoe.
* * *
He calls me and against all my better judgement, I answer. I know he won’t let up if I don’t.
“Don’t call me, Angus. I’m not—”
“Where are you?”
“In Sydney.”
“Fuck, baby, why? I thought we were working stuff out.”
“I know you did, but I never said that. Not once. You fucked your assistant; there’s no coming back from that.”
“It happened once, Zara. Once. And I told you it would never happen again.”
I sigh. “I’m so bored with this conversation. We’ve been having it for five months and I’m done. I’m not coming back to Melbourne.”
He turns silent for a beat. “I’ll give you some space. And then we’ll figure this out.”
Jesus. “Listen to what I’m saying, because I’m only going to say it once more. We are over and there’s nothing you can say or do to make me change my mind. Goodbye.”
I stab at the phone to end the call and make eyes at Holly. “Good God. He just won’t take no for an answer. I might need to change my phone number if he keeps going.”
The real estate agent interrupts us, sticking his head out of the balcony door. “I need to get to another appointment.”
“Sorry,” I say, shoving my phone back in my bag. “I do want the apartment.”
He smiles broadly. “Okay, great.” He then tells me what paperwork I need to submit and we discuss the next steps.
Once we’re back in Holly’s car, I rest my head against the seat and say, “I need to be more like you.”
She starts the car. “How? Why?”
“I need to just sleep around and stop getting into relationships. I’m not built for this shit.”
“You are our mother’s daughter, Zar. You’re not built for anything but relationships. So yeah, good luck with that.”