“Is that siren on your end or my end? And I guess I just want you to know about all the little weird or annoying things about me. Because I’ve tried to be interesting and fun on these phone calls, but I want you to have the whole picture. Because I’m about to tell you something that might make you think less of me. So I wanted to pad it with some other information about me that will make you see me as a regular guy. Not some inflated, imaginary version of myself.”

“Okay. Check. I already don’t do that anyhow. But now you’ve officially prepared me for the fact that you are a regular human man. Sorry I’m yelling! I can barely hear myself think!”

“Great. Now I want to explain why I was freaking out so much last night.”

“Eliot. You don’t actually have to explain.”

“No, I want to.”

“Okay, but just wait until the siren—oof! Oh, shit. Sorry! I . . .”

“Oh, my God.”

Chapter Eighteen

Eliot

I stand back and blink down at the woman I just ran into. We both turned the corner too fast and bam, smashed right into each other. She’s got her phone pressed to her ear and so do I. I’ve got one hand in the air in a natural, “hands away” sort of pose, but she’s balancing herself against my chest. I realize now that I was hearing that police siren both through JD’s end of the line and with my own ears.

Because that cop car was going by both of us. Because we are in exactly the same place. Because the person I’m staring at is JD. I can feel that my mouth is open but I can’t make myself close it.

We stare at one another as the police car passes us. I can hear the siren next to me and through the phone. When the police car is gone we’re both still just staring at one another. She’s gone white as a sheet.

“JD.” It’s a statement. Not a question. Because I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.

Suddenly, she animates. She hangs up our call, slips her phone in her pocket, and turns to walk the other way.

“Wait!” I call to her. “I—”