“Listen, I didn’t mean for you to see-”
“I love you.”
“What?”
“Dammit, Sienna. I’ve loved you since the moment you propositioned me in the emergency room.” I rush out the door with the phone to my ear and wait for my ride.
Her voice cracks, “Then why did you leave?”
“I’m an idiot. I thought… Oh hell, it doesn’t matter what I thought. Will you take me back?”
“Take you back, no…”
My heart drops. “Why the fuck not?”
“Because I never let you go.”
My vision blurs but by squeezing my eyes tight, I manage to keep any water from rolling down my face as she sobs on the other side of the phone.
“Don’t cry, luv. I promise. I’ll make it up to you.” If I wasn’t so stupid, she’d be in my arms instead of three hundred damn miles away. “I thought you wanted me gone from your life so you could take up with that bass player.”
“Jasper? Seriously? He’s married with three little kids. He’s crazy about his wife. What made you think that?”
What do I say? That he smiled at her and touched her arm too much? Was I so much in love that I turned into a jealous cave man? I remember ridiculing my brother for just the same kind of behavior.
“Sienna, to be honest, I’ve never been in love before. You got me all mixed up. I haven’t eaten or slept for weeks. I almost argued the wrong case in court and had to get a postponement.”
“Oh yeah? Well get this. I forgot how to spell respect. I actually spelled it R E S P C E T. It was hilarious and people thought I did it on purpose… How do you suppose we’ll handle this long-distance thing?”
“Hold that thought. My Uber is here.” I climb into the small Toyota that’s pulled up alongside the curb and show him my phone.
A bearded millennial turns and asks, “JFK?”
“Can you hurry?”
“Sure, traffic should be pretty low at this hour.” His eyes go to the road as he eases onto my narrow street.
“Okay, I’m back.” I rest into the back seat, my shoulders away from my ears, and my jaw not clenching for the first time in weeks.
“Where are you, now?” I need to keep her talking on the phone, I can’t have her changing her mind about me.
She sighs and bed springs creak. “I just got home. I found a small room over a garage in Charlotte.”
“That’s great, Sienna, really great.” Thank God, I stop myself from saying how fucking dangerous that city is.
“Nah, it’s not great but I’m still looking.”
“Maybe I can help you find something else when I get there.”
“Yeah, I would like that.”
I say a small prayer to the Big Guy upstairs for looking out for me and helping me to shut my mouth. Me and Sienna may have a long way to go but we’ll get there.
