“Man, nothing out of the ordinary over here.”
I let out a breath, thinking I’m so far out of the loop, my heart can’t take the possibility she is purposefully not responding to me—ignoring me. And my heart drops into my stomach.
My mind is telling me to drive over there and demand that she tell me what is going on. But I refrain as panic washes over me. I’m confused and worried. She’s never ignored my texts, and I don’t want to call after already having sent her a text. If she really has a headache, then she could be sleeping. But why are all of her friends there?
Wound up tightly, I decide to drive home. The garage door closes behind me as I sit in my car. I slam my hands on the steering wheel. Fuck! Needing to burn off the anger coursing through my veins, I walk straight into the house and down to my workout room. No matter where I go, I can’t run away from the thoughts of her.
Even when I’m working out, she’s a vision everywhere I look. She’s perfect for me. I just need to talk to her. If she doesn’t text me back soon, I’ll try calling. I know something isn’t right.
I push myself hard, increasing my weights, trying to focus on anything but her. It’s useless because she’s taken over my heart, living rent-free. I’m invested in her—in us.
Taking a seat on the bench with my elbows on my knees, my face lands in my hands for however long it took me to realize I can’t live without her. She’s the one. Whatever is going on, I’m finding out what it is, no matter what.
I grab my phone from the table. Still nothing from her. Staring at the screen, I will her to text me back, but nothing happens. My heart is aching in my chest. Defeat rolls through me, my shoulders slump, and an exaggerated sigh leaves my mouth.
After taking a cool shower, I’m ready to drive over to her house and see her. Confront her. Why hasn’t she texted me back? Why did Sally seem upset with me?
Then, my phone buzzes.
Kendall:
I’m home. Can we talk?
The words I’ve been waiting for, but dread spreads through me.
Dane:
Yes. Where?
Kendall:
If you don’t mind meeting me at my house.
Dane:
On my way.
Kendall:
Doors open, I’m in the back.
My heart rate spikes, and my palms sweat. I need to wipe them on my pants. I can’t shake off the dread; it’s there, haunting me. What could be wrong? I can’t wrap my head around what’s going on, and it’s making me feel unsteady. My foot presses on the gas pedal like I’m a NASCAR racer. I need to be next to her, feel her body, her heart…our undeniable connection with sparks flying. I want all of that every day. But why do I feel like it’s all slipping away from me at the moment?
When I pull into her driveway, there are no other cars. Her friends must have left. It’s just her and me.
I’m wrapping my arms around her the minute I see her.
Bounding up the steps and through the front door, I stalk straight out the back. And that’s when I see her sitting in her lounge chair, tucked into a ball with her arms holding her legs tightly, head down. As she lifts her head to meet my eyes, my heart shatters into a million pieces to see her red-rimmed eyes, mascara streaking her cheeks, and hair in disarray. The breath is knocked out of my chest. She isn’t moving, isn’t speaking; she’s just staring into me.
I want to rush over to her and tell her everything will be okay, but I don’t even know what is wrong. My steps are slow and calculated, like I’m walking up to an animal that will run away if my movements are too quick.
Lowering my body to the chair, I rest my hand on her forearm and whisper, “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”
Her eyes are dull and full of tears that break free and flow down her cheeks. I hold her face and wipe her tears with the pad of my thumb, but they keep coming. Seeing her broken is cracking something inside of me. All I want to do is fix whatever is wrong.
She wipes her face, and her voice is wavering. “I had a visitor today.”
I’ve taken care of Jake, but what the hell—maybe he has someone on the outside. What the fuck?
