“I am happy.”
It felt good to say that out loud. It was true. I was happy, and not just because of Luke. Things in my life were good, and that included things with Lila Kate, work, and everything in between. Dad cleared his throat before asking, “When are we going to get to meet this fella of yours?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll talk to him and see when he’s free.”
“That would be great.”
All the talk about Luke made me realize that I still hadn’t heard from him. Thinking I might’ve missed a call or text, I reached for my phone, and my chest tightened when I looked down and saw the blank screen.
Something felt off, so I sent him a quick message, asking if he was okay.
Dad was staring at me with furrowed brows. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah. All is good.”
“You sure?”
“Just checking on an appointment I have tomorrow.” Hoping to turn the focus back to them, I asked, “So, where are you two love-birds headed to next?”
“Home,” Mom answered without hesitation. “It’s already past my bedtime.”
“Mine, too.” Dad stood and leaned back, stretching. “We should be back home just in time to catch the news.”
“Oh, you and the news.” Mom shook her head. “We wouldn’t want you to miss something.”
Mom stepped over to me and gave me a quick hug. “I’m glad you stopped by.”
“Me, too. Call me tomorrow.” She gave me an extra squeeze. “I want to hear all about this new friend of yours.”
“Lunchbreak.” I gave her a wink. “Now, you two get home and be careful.”
“Will do.”
Usually, when they left, their warmth remained, filling my place with a sense of home. But tonight, the silence left me feeling a little anxious. I wasn’t sure what was going on with me, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
I tried to ignore it and started putting my clothes away. As soon as I had everything put away, I checked my phone again.
Still nothing.
I told myself it wasn’t a big deal. He was working. It was probably a busy night, and he hadn’t had time to reach out. I said it over and over, hoping I would eventually believe it, but it wasn’t sinking in.
I wandered back to the couch and turned on the TV, trying to distract myself with my favorite show. My mind drifted, and I started thinking about last night. It felt so good to be in his arms. I always felt so safe and wanted. I loved that about being with him.
I also loved that I could trust him. Truly. I shared my insecurities about him working at the Vault, and he didn’t turn it against me. Instead, he assured me I had nothing to worry about. He even went so far as to tell me tocome check things out for yourself.
He said come any time.
See for yourself that you have nothing to worry about.
He said it so matter-of-factly, like it was no big deal at all. I thought for a moment, then decided he was right. It wasn’t a bigdeal. I was just going to stop by and say hello. I could see for myself that he was right and that I had nothing to worry about.
I changed into a pair of jeans and a sweater. It was nothing fancy, but I threw on some earrings and pulled my hair up, trying to make myself look a little more presentable. I grabbed my keys, and before I could change my mind, I headed out to my car.
The closer I got to the Vault, the more nervous I became.
I’d been there before. Davis had taken me there as part of his ruse. I was there to play the part of his girlfriend. It wasn’t an easy task. I despised the man, and I hated standing there next to him, smiling and pretending to be crazy about him while beautiful women circled the room like they owned it. I hated every second of it.
But I’d put that all behind me.
