Chapter 33

There’s no sunlight at the end of this dark pathway, Toby thinks, although he’s wrong. After an hour of sobbing—because he loves Denver and probably always will—he finds two empty boxes in the Tudor’s basement, carries the pair upstairs, and gathers a few of his belongings, placing them inside the boxes. He decides to take his digital camera, a few clothes, his favorite bottle of shampoo, and three pair of shoes. The things he leaves behind aren’t important to him and Denver can do whatever he wishes with them.

He drives the boxes to his Colonial on Second Avenue, sets the cardboard squares on the coffee table in the living room, and becomes a lump on the sofa, which doesn’t feel comfortable like it once used to.

King calls, which distracts Toby. Toby’s cellphone buzzes on the coffee table and he picks it up, presses a button, holds the device up to his ear, and says, “King.”

His friend is out of breath, probably working out with a buddy or client at his gym. “Is it true?”