"Where are you?"
"I can't tell you. She wants to see me, not you. She's furious. Doesn't want you anywhere near her."
Cade is clearly trying to get a fix on the number on his phone, and he has inched closer to try and listen in.
I have to stop myself from shouting. "I really don't fucking care. You should be home. You both should. Anything could happen. And if you really had to go, you needed to take one of your guards."
"I didn't. Lyndall told me what to do to sneak out, so I did. I don't think she wanted a guard?—"
I almost shout. "It's not safe. The guards aren't a fashion accessory. Where you go, they go."
"Well, that's too bad. I can't time travel, and I'm here now with Lyndall, so?—"
"Put her on and tell me where you are!"
"No and no. And I'm staying until she's okay, whether you like it or not. Just so you know, I'm not calling for permission. Or for help. I just thought I'd let you know what's going on."
The bottom falls from my world. "But?—"
"But nothing. And you should be grateful I'm letting you knowanything, considering you don't deserve it."
"For fuck's sake, Lola, I know I screwed up, big time. I'm trying to fix it?—"
"You want to fix things?" Her voice softens slightly. "I get that. And I know you do. But, Enzo... sometimes, you can't,not right away. Giving Lyndall the space to talk without you there might help, way more than you realize."
"Fine. But call one of our cars to get home."
"You're not to be outside."
"I'm out. With Cade. We were looking for Lyndall. But..." I take a breath.
It's a moment of truth, a moment that, as I think on it, holds everything.
And I hope to fuck I make the right decision. "We'll head home and wait, okay?"
"Thank you." She hangs up.
"I know where they are," Cade says.
I hesitate.
That important moment pushes at me.
"Fuck, man, I don't know what to do."
"You like to crowd those you care about. Lola, Lyndall. And while you can usually do it with Lynds, Lola's different. Give her and your sister room to breathe. We'll go get a drink, and we'll wait."
Waiting isn't my favorite sport, apparently.
But I will. I don't want to lose Lyndall.
I can't lose Lola.
And there's Squish...
I sigh heavily. "Let's go home."
And though I desperately want to send a car, or better yet, lurk outside wherever they are, I don't.
