What does this mean?Then it hit me.Tiffany’s room number.
This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening.All the dots started to connect. Not getting notifications to messages.Bonnie must have gotten them.My mouth dropped open, and I couldn’t help it as I puked all over the floor.
Chapter Ten
Bonnie
I lay awake as the clock next to me mocked me with every tick of time.
3:58 a.m.…
4:00 a.m.…
4:09 a.m.…
Elijah would be home by now.Will he even care that I’m not there? Does he feel the way his friends do? Has he been with Tiff every time?
Was everything a lie?
Am I not enough?
Why is he silent?
I was so lost in my questions I honestly wasn’t sure I wanted the answers to that I barely registered Ellie coming into the guest room I was currently occupying. My suitcase was still fully packed, like it didn’t want to be there either.
“How are you sleeping through that?” Ellie asked me as she got into the bed with me and prompted me to sit up so I could scooch over and make room for us both.
“Sleeping through what?” I asked, but I kept my gaze at the ceiling.
“Do you not hear that knocking? You can tell he’s trying not to wake the neighbors, but he’s been out there for a while.”
I felt my heart race.He is here.I glanced at the clock, suddenly realizing that it was somehow a little past 5:00 a.m.
“Why is he here, andhowdid he know I was here?” I wondered out loud. I saw her give me anare you serious?look as she nibbled on her bottom lip. I didn’t need her to say anything to know that she thought I should talk to him.
“You think I should talk to him,” I said, keeping my eyes on the ceiling.
“I think some things don’t make sense. I think youwantto talk to him, and you should, if that’s what you want. But I also think that hitting him over the head with a frying pan is an acceptable response as well.” She slid her hand into mine and gave it a squeeze as we both lay there. His quiet knocking surrounded us, and I sighed, knowing she was right. I did need to talk to him.
“A frying pan could get messy.”
“Unlike you, I have a tarp.” She turned on her side and grinned at me. “Whatever you want, I’m here for you.”
“Thanks, El. You’re the best homicidal friend a girl could ask for.”
“That’s it. That’s what you should put on my tombstone.”
I couldn’t help but laugh even though my stomach was rolling with unease at facing Elijah. My fingers ached to run my hands through his hair, to massage out the kinks he got in his shoulders from his long flights. I felt his absence everywhere. He’d never been so close yet so out of reach at the same time. I took a deep breath to try to steady myself as I got out of bed and made my way to the front door, where the knocks were still thudding at an even pace, giving no indication that he planned on stopping until someone answered him.
I placed a hand on the door before I opened it to try to steady myself, preparing to face him.On the count of three,I told myself.
One…
Two…
Three…
Elijah all but fell through the door and into my arms when I opened it in between knocks. “Bonnie,” he breathed out. I wanted to curse myself for the way my heart thudded to a stop. I’d had an entire speech planned out. It contained a lot of really good lines, I swear. I had planned on telling him that I considered our love epic. One of those love stories where, when you tell people,when you know you know, and you aren’t lying to your grandkids when you explain that you knew within seconds. Epic. Forever. But I lost all rational thought when I saw the man in front of me.
