Last Call at the Cortex - chapter20

I sat there for a long time. Five minutes? An hour? Time moves differently when you aren't inside the Cortex Club.

Eventually, the shivering stopped being violent and just became cold.

I reached into my pocket. My hand was shaking as I pulled out my phone. The screen was cracked—I remembered dropping it earlier, before I climbed over the barrier.

I pressed the button. The screen lit up. 11:42 PM.

There were notifications. Dozens of them. Missed calls. Texts. Not from a bartender. Not notes on napkins. Real digital messages from real people.

I unlocked the phone. My thumb hovered over the contacts list.

I scrolled past my dentist dad in Ohio. I scrolled past the ex-girlfriend who smelled like rain.

I found the name I was looking for. Mark. My actual best friend. The guy I’d been blowing off for months because I was "too busy" or "too tired" or "stuck in traffic."

I opened the text box.

My internal monologue tried to start up.

Logic (Leo): Tell him you're fine. Don't worry him. Formulate a rational excuse. Say you had car trouble.

Impulse (Desi): Call him! Scream! Tell him to bring whiskey!

Grief (Greg): Don't bother. He doesn't care. You're a burden.

I closed my eyes. I took a deep breath of the freezing air. I acknowledged the voices. I thanked them for their input.

Then I ignored them.

I typed three words. They weren't clever. They weren't funny. They weren't a story to pay for a drink. They were just the truth.

Can we talk?

I hit send.

I stared at the screen, watching the little "Delivered" receipt appear.

Then, three dots appeared. Bouncing. Dancing.

Mark is typing...

I let out a breath that fogged in the night air. I stood up. My legs were wobbly, but they held. I looked over the railing one last time at the black water below. It looked peaceful. It looked final.

"Not tonight," I said to the dark. "Tab's closed."

I turned my back on the edge and started walking toward the lights of the city.

Closing Note：

I must decline all collaboration requests.

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