I hand my phone to my girlfriend and she takes it.
“Hi Marie… I’m fine…yes I’m with him for the weekend…I’m sorry I didn’t tell you….yes…no we are not today…no…uhh no… you don’t have to…I have some money… okay I’ll ask him…no wait you don’t have to…are you sure?… okay see you.”
She hands me back my phone.
“Marie is coming to pick me up.”
I groan in annoyance. “Why can’t she steal her fucking boyfriend and not my girlfriend?”
“Because she wants to check up on me.”
“I told her you’re fine.”
“And she said she wants to see me for herself.” She fidgets with the strings. “She offered me to stay at her house.”
“Not fucking happening. You’re sleeping with me.”
I loved having her in my arms and watching her sleep. It was peaceful seeing her toss her worries aside and rest up for a fewhours. She looked so calm and I wanted that look to stay on her face forever.
“She said we can have a girl sleepover. I’ve never had that before,” she says in a low voice.
I clench my jaw at the thought of letting her go tonight. “Then you should stay the night with her. I’ll pick you up in the morning.”
She stares at me. “Are you sure — ”
I cup her face in my palms and smack a kiss on her lips. “I’m always sure, Rose. You don’t have to ask me every time.”
“People can change their mind.”
It doesn’t take a genius to know what makes her say that.
I press another kiss. “Not me. Never me.”
31
HOPE
Marie is waitingoutside her house at the curb when Heath pulls up. She rushes over to my side and tries to open the door but it’s locked.
She sends a glare through the window to Heath who smirks.
“Let her go. She is staying with me,” her voice is muffled but we hear her.
He leans over the console and says, “In your dreams, Blondie.”
“What? No!”
“Yes.”
I turn to him and his gaze quickly avert to me, then my lips, back to me. “I’ll be okay.”
He scowls. “I know.” He runs a hand through his hair. “I just don’t want to let you go.”
A smile tugs on my lips and lean forward and kiss him. “I’ll be with you for the whole day tomorrow.”
His tense expression softens a little as if the thought consoles him.
A bang raps on the window and we both see Marie staring at us in waiting.
