The faint chime of a notification broke the silence.
Gale’s hand immediately dropped away and before I could react, he snatched his phone from the bedside table and opened the message.
“Gale, my underwear is missing. Again.” The voice note continued, Flossie’s tone sultry and teasing. “I know you’re really into lace, but you can’t just take them with you and leave me with nothing to wear.”
The voice note ended abruptly.
Gale froze, his breath hitching as he glanced at me, panic all over his face.
When he realized I wasn’t reacting, he let out a shaky breath of relief, clutching his phone tightly as he slipped onto the bedroom balcony to make a call.
“I told you not to call me, didn’t I?” he hissed.
Flossie’s laugh drifted through the crack in the door, smooth and full of mischief. “You ripped almost all my underwear. I haven’t even had a chance to buy new ones.”
Her voice dipped lower, practically purring. “What do you want me to do—go without it?”
Gale’s breathing turned heavier and I could hear the strain in his voice. “I’ll bring you some tomorrow.”
My fingers curled into the bedsheets, tears soaking into my pillow as I tried to calm the storm in my chest.
“It’s fine,” I told myself. Just seven more days. Seven days and I’ll be gone. After that, Gale could search the ends of the earth, but he’d never find me again.
With that thought, I let exhaustion take over and drifted into an uneasy sleep.
The next morning, I woke to the smell of something warm and familiar. Gale had already made congee. He brought the bowl to me, his expression soft with concern.
“Is it hurt so much? You cried yourself to sleep last night,” he murmured, brushing his thumb over the corner of my eye where the redness lingered.
He reached for the bowl to feed me, but I pulled back slightly, the pit of unease in my stomach twisting tighter.
Just then, a notification popped up on his phone.
I caught a glimpse of it before he snatched it, covering the screen with his hand.
[Flossie: I’m in the dressing room at the mall. You’ve got 15 minutes before I changed my mind.]
The vein on his temple pulsed as he pressed the phone against his palm, locking the screen.
“Baby, there’s some loose ends from my last job I need to deal with.” His tone was smooth, almost too casual. “I promise it won’t get in the way of your birthday.”
As a tactician, I knew better. There were no “loose ends” left to tie up.
His throat bobbed—an obvious tell. I watched him fidget in his seat, the tension radiating off him.
I buried my disgust and forced a smile. “It’s okay. Go. Work’s important.”
His relief was immediate. He stood quickly, grabbing his jacket.
“I’ll be back soon,” he promised.
But I knew the truth. He couldn’t resist whatever pull she had on him. Just as I expected, he barely came home over the next three days.
Honestly, it was for the best. I had things to take care of, like editing the video.
As I wrapped up, a text from Flossie popped up on my screen.
[He’s baking you a birthday cake, but all the cream ended up on me.]
[Hope you don’t mind?]
Before I could respond, another message came through—a video this time.
It showed Gale, lips curling as he licked whipped cream clean in a way that made my stomach churn. I didn’t reply. Instead, I opened my system panel and checked the countdown.
[Countdown: 4 days]
That night was my birthday party.
I wasn’t in the mood to celebrate, but I went anyway. I didn’t want Gale to suspect anything.
By the time the sun had set, Gale was waiting outside to drive me to the venue.
“Here comes, the start of the show!”
“Welcome, Alex!”
His teammates greeted me with wide smiles, their voices full of respect as I walked in.
Gale handed me a small box, his grin confident. Inside was a ring made from bone—his pinky bone, to be exact. Dropping to one knee, he gently kissed the back of my hand.
“Baby, I’ve made up my mind. After this last job, I’m done. We’ll finally have the quiet, happy life you’ve always wanted.”
For years, Gale had danced on the edge of danger. Every birthday, my wish had been for him to leave this life behind.
Now that it was finally happening, I felt… nothing. No joy. No relief.
I glanced at the ring but didn’t put it on. Instead, I gave him a small smile. “Good.”
I’d see him through this last job.
Then, I’d close the book on us—for good.
