Sarah: Honestly, same. 8:00 p.m. at The Alchemist? They have a great patio.
I agreed. It felt surreal. Forty-eight hours ago, my life had been a closed loop around Chloe. Now, I was arranging a date with a stranger, and the only thing I felt was a mild, pleasant curiosity.
As I got ready that evening, my phone buzzed once more. Another unknown number. Another voicemail. I played it while buttoning my shirt. Her voice was thick with tears this time, the performance more polished, more desperate:
"Alex, it's me. I'm so sorry for everything. The trip was stupid. I was stupid. I just... I came home and you were just gone. You really left. I can't eat. I can't sleep. Please, I'll do anything. Just come home. We can fix this. I love you. Please, just call me back. Please..."
The "I love you" was the final, hollow flourish—a tool she'd used to win arguments before. It landed with the weight of a feather. I deleted the voicemail.
I finished getting ready. I looked in the mirror. My eyes were clear. There was no grief in them, no anger. Just a man about to go on a date.
At 7:55 p.m., I walked into the warm, buzzing atmosphere of The Alchemist. I found Sarah at a corner table on the patio under a string of fairy lights. She was prettier than her pictures, with an easy smile. We greeted each other; the conversation flowed from the first minute.
My phone, sitting on the table next to my drink, buzzed. The screen lit up: Unknown Caller.
Sarah's eyes flicked to it, then back to me, a polite question in her gaze. I picked up the phone, my movements calm. I hit the side button, silencing it. I turned the screen facedown on the wooden table with a soft, definitive tap.
I looked back at Sarah, my apology genuine, but unrelated to the call. "Sorry about that. Where were we? You were saying the sequel is actually better than the original, which is a take I absolutely need to hear defended."
She laughed, and we dove back in.
The phone buzzed once more, a feeble vibration against the wood. I didn't flinch. I didn't look. I was already gone.