When the Future Called

hat performative "nice guy" condescension he used when he t

e table. "Let me just put this

ght. I knew w

y, Ethan," I warned, my

" he hissed, grabbing the expensive machine. A

like a gunshot in the silent cafe. It was a perfect, sickening crack. Th

rojects, my connection to my job-all o

ke surprise. "Oh, shit. See what you made me do? If you

"You... you did this!" she pointed at me, her voice trembling. "Your screaming, yo

"You owe me for this. For the emotion

And it was exactly the kind of pl

sly. He turned to me, his face hard. "You

m. The last vestiges of the woman who loved this man were b

ounded by my defiance. "If you won't be

ir. His fingers wrapped around th

st mistake he w

aised my phone-still recording video now-and announced in a

t destroyed my property and is now tryi

world seemed to hold its breat