It came in the form of a jogger. A crisp, ponytailed woman in expensive leggings, who didn’t even glance at his shame-shoe. She was too busy listening to a podcast about productivity. Liam realized: no one actually cared. They were all too busy starring in their own quiet disasters.
“Medium or large?” he croaked, his voice a dry husk of its former self.
The fluorescent lights of the 24-hour grocery buzzed like a hive of judgmental bees. Liam, still in last night’s velvet blazer—missing two buttons, speckled with what he hoped was chocolate sauce—squinted at the egg section. Walk Of ShameHD
Then, acceptance.
He stopped at a corner café. Bought a black coffee. Sat down. And texted the unknown number: “Keep the shoe. It’s a relic. Also—Chaz says hi. But Liam would like to buy you a real breakfast. No wolves this time.” It came in the form of a jogger
Because, child, Liam thought, I tried to impress a woman by drinking an entire bottle of mezcal and claiming I could ‘speak fluent wolf.’
Right. Chaz. The fake name he’d given the woman with the galaxy tattoo and the industrial laugh. The woman whose apartment he’d fled at 6 a.m., tip-toeing past a sleeping cat and a lego minefield, only to realize halfway down the stairwell that he was missing a loafer. Liam realized: no one actually cared
Three dots appeared. Then: “Galaxy tattoo woman says: ‘Only if you bring your own shoes.’”