The Landline Strikes Back
Tessa
When Maisie's landline rang, I stopped my compulsive cleaning and stared like it had barked. Over the past couple of months, I'd called the number maybe a handful of times, but actually hearing it ring was something else entirely.
On reflex, I reached out and answered with a tentative, "Hello?"
On the other end, I heard a quick gasp, followed by a familiar voice saying, "Tessa? Is that you?"
I almost dropped the receiver. "Delaney?"
Instead of answering, she shot back, "What areyoudoing there?" She said it like she'd just caught me naked in her boyfriend's car.
But even if she had a boyfriend, I wouldn't know it, considering we hadn't talked in months. "It's a long story. But where areyou?"
"I askedyoufirst." Her tone grew disbelieving. "So you're stealing my friends, now?"
Talk about unfair."No. For your information, I came here looking for you."
"And you justhappento show up on the exact day I call?"
I froze.Oh, gosh.The truth was so much worse. Dodging it, I said, "I'm glad you called. I've been really worried."
She snorted. "Yeah, I can tell. I've only called you a million times in the past two weeks."
If so, that was news to me."Wait…you have?"
"Yes, actually." Under her breath, she mumbled, "And thanks for calling me back."
And then it hit me. "Oh, my God. My phone."
"What about it?"
"I don't have it. I haven't for a while."
"What are you saying? You lost it?"
"Notexactly." My cellphone was still in Chicago, sitting in that bus station locker. I wasn't even sure why.
Evan Carver was gone, but here I was, acting like I still needed to hide. I hadn't retrieved my phone. I hadn't checked on my apartment. I hadn't done much of anything.
Well, except for cleaning.
By now, I'd done so much mopping, I'd given myself a blister. But hey, it was better than obsessing over Ryder, right?
On the phone, Delaney was saying, "Notexactly? What does that mean?"
I didn't want to talk about my phone – or my troubles. I wanted to talk abouther. "It's in storage – another long story. But how areyou?"
"Five minutes ago, I was fine." She let out a humorless laugh. "And do you seriously expect me to believe that you've been away from your phone for two whole weeks?"
Two weeks – that's how long she'd been calling. Butmytimetable was a whole lot different. "More like two whole months."
"Wait…you've been at Maisie's formonths?"
Damn it.I hadn't consulted a calendar, but it was true more or less. And now I felt defensive. "Youdidhear me say I came looking foryou, right?"
"And then what? You just moved in?"
