Under_The_Whispering_Door_by_TJ_Klune

“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It is what it is.”
She sounded uncertain when she said, “You knew him.”
“Yes.”
“Really knew him.”
“Yes.”
“And he told you what happened with us.”
“He did.”
“So you just decided to call me out of the blue, out of the goodness of your
heart.”
“Yes.”
“Look. Hugo, was it? I don’t know what you’re gunning for here, but I
don’t—”
“Nothing. I want nothing. All I wanted to do was tell you that you mattered
to him. Even when all was said and done, you mattered.”
She didn’t respond.
“That’s it,” Hugo said. “That’s all I needed to say. I apologize for
interrupting your evening. Thank you for—”
“You cared for him.”
Hugo startled. He glanced at Wallace before looking away. “I do.”
“Friends,” she said, almost amused. “Just friends?”
“Hang up!” Wallace said frantically. “Oh my god, hang up the phone!” He
tried to swipe at it, but Hugo was quicker, plucking it off the counter and
holding it out of reach.
“Just friends,” Hugo said, hurrying around the counter to keep Wallace
from the phone. Wallace snarled at him, prepared to do what he had to in
order to make this fresh hell end as quickly as possible.
“Are you sure? Because—and I can’t believe I know this—you sound like
the kind of guy he’d go for. He didn’t think I noticed, but he would swoon
whenever—”
“I don’t swoon!” Wallace bellowed.
“Really?” Hugo said into the phone. “Swoon, you say?”
“Yes. It was embarrassing. There was this one friend of mine—kind of
talked like you, the same cadence—who Wallace would fawn over. He
would deny it, of course, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case with
you.”