“Hey, you.” He answers, that deep voice a tonic that, for a brief moment, takes all the pain away.
“Hey.” My voice cracks over the word, and I close my eyes in shame.
“Flick?” Concern floods the line. “What’s wrong? What is it? Did they contact you again?”
“No... I just...” I sniffle. “I’m having a flare, and I wanted to talk to someone. I’m sorry. I know you’re at your conference. I can?—”
“No, I’m not. I’m driving home.”
“You...” A searing wave of pain steals my next inhale. “Are?”
“I left the conference early. Two nights was more than enough. I didn’t want to be away any longer. I wanted to see you. I just didn’t call because—I don’t know... I didn’t want to seem desperate or overbearing.”
I let out a half sob, half laugh that racks my chest and takes the pain up another notch. “That’s how I felt calling.”
He chuckles. “Maybe we should stop pretending then, huh, and just show how we really feel?”
“Maybe.” I murmur, in too much pain to say much else.
“I’m an hour and a half away. What do you need? I’ll come right there.”
I look around the kitchen, everything too far away for me to reach. Cat is in the doorway playing with a piece of paper, her earlier fear of me forgotten.
“Just for you to come here.” I whisper.
“I’m already driving as fast as I can.”
“Don’t get a ticket.” I blink back tears. “Or crash.”
“I’ll be careful. And I’ll be there soon. I promise. Everything will be okay.”
“Okay.” I murmur back. “See you soon.”
I hang up before he has any more time to notice just how hard it is for me to talk. If he knew the amount of pain I was in, he would probably drive dangerously fast.
Putting the phone down, I eye the radiator a few yards away. Knowing Sebastian is on his way gives me a boost of energy, and so I half crawl, half slide my way across the kitchen floor. Pain rockets through my body, and I cry out more than once, but I finally make it to the cast-iron tubes. Leaning my back against their warmth, I close my eyes and work on taking slow breaths.
Cat climbs onto my legs and makes her mini biscuits on my jeans. Though I want to reach over and pet her, even that is too hard.
“Good Cat.” I whisper. “Don’t tell Sebastian I said this... but I’m glad you’re here.”
CHAPTER 17
Sebastian
Pushing past the speed limit as much as I dare, I cross the bridge onto Pine Island. The moment my tires hit familiar asphalt, I relax a little bit. Just a few more minutes to Flick's condo.
When she called, I couldn't contain my joy. Leaving the conference early was a choice I made for a few different reasons. One, I had already given my presentation and was bored out of my skull talking shop at the hotel bar. Two, it's only Rach and another vet tech on shift tonight. And three...
I really, really missed Flick and want to see her after the coffee shop incident today.
And because of our crazy schedules, it's been way too long since I've seen her. Hearing her voice on the phone was the balm I needed after a long week. I just wish the call hadn't come because she's all alone having a flare.
I dial Rach's number, switching to hands-free as I navigate the turn onto Main Street.
“You're not coming in yet, right?” She doesn't wait for an answer. “Go home and?—”
“Actually, I can't make it in at all. I'm going to Flick's. She... ” I trail off, realizing that Flick probably doesn’t need her chronic condition broadcast across the island.
