Adelaide: A Novel

Rory doesn’t help Adelaide move into her new apartment as he expected to do. Because of the breakup, he’s spending the day alone. He watches television and reflects on his relationship with Adelaide, remembering specific times they’ve spent together. He liked being with her because she was genuine, but he wasn’t in love with her. He realizes that he never wanted to be. Being with Adelaide was comforting, however, so when they took a break, he downloaded the dating app as an experiment. He didn’t delete it even after they got back together. He didn’t sleep with any of his matches, but he liked scrolling through his options and chatting with other women.

Eloise calls, interrupting Rory’s thoughts. Eloise reminds him that the night they met, Eloise told him that she would hurt him if he didn’t take care of Adelaide. Now, she promises over the phone to fulfill her earlier threats if he doesn’t stay away from Adelaide from now on. After hanging up, Rory suddenly misses Adelaide.

The hospital keeps Adelaide overnight. A nurse visits to check in and discuss what will happen next. Adelaide calls out of work so that she can recover. The next day, Celeste accompanies Adelaide back to her apartment.