“Hmm?”Violet looks up from her phone again, following my line of sight.Her jaw drops.“No freaking way.”
“It’s him, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, that’s totally Hawke,” Violet decides.She scoots a little closer to me on her barstool and drops her voice low.“What is he doing here?Oh, my hell.”She rolls her eyes.“This is the second time he’s tattled on us.”
With a frown, I turn toward her.“What do you mean?”
“Jagger didn’t check my location.Not that I would’ve cared, but Hawke’s the one who told him we’re here, just like he did when we were dropping off Lexie’s phone after paint night.”She shakes her head.“What an ass.”
My phone buzzes in my hand with another message from Ford.
Ford
I said stop staring, not tell your best friend so she causes an even bigger scene.
Okay, either Hawke is a really fast texter or Ford’s hiding here somewhere.Neither would surprise me.I type my response.
Me
I’m not staring.
Ford
Not the way he tells it.
Me
Maybe I thought he was you.
The dots appear, then disappear at least three times before another message pops up.
Ford
And if he was?
I reach for my drink and swallow half its contents.His text was so out of the blue, I almost forgot he ghosted me.Now that he’s lifted the proverbial curtain, gracing me with his attention, I can’t help but feel… Well, at the very least, I deserve an answer, don’t I?Some kind of clarification?
I reread our conversation and type my response before I can talk myself out of it.
Me
I’d ask why you haven’t messaged me all week.
My throat constricts, but I hit send anyway.Besides, he might be used to tiptoeing around certain conversations, but I have a right to want open dialogue and honest interactions.Even if it means he only followed me in that room so we could hook up with no strings attached, I deserve more than being ignored.And the fact that he messaged me tonight?It has to mean…something.Doesn’t it?
Ford
The phone goes both ways.
Seriously?My fingers jab against the screen.
Me
Pretty sure we both know that’s a cop-out.
Ford
Look at you, calling me out on my bullshit.
