Page 92 of David's Chase

Is she, um… on vacation?

Something bad happened to her?

Something outrageously good?

“Aren’t you going to invite me in?” she asks, and I hurry to do that before the moment turns awkward.

“Hey,” she says, dropping the backpack on the floor and closing the door behind her while I slide my phone into my pocket.

Oh, fuck.

David.

My brain spins ideas fast.

I look at the backpack.

Is she staying?

“What’s up with you?” she says, pulling the cap off and dropping it on her backpack.

“What’s up with you?” I toss back at her to buy some time and ponder a good answer.

Her eyes move quickly over my hair and face.

“Are you going somewhere? Expecting someone?”

“No. I surely didn’t expect you. Something happened?” I murmur.

“Nothing happened. I’m back. Yay.”

Phony enthusiasm threads through her voice.

“Yeah. Yay,” I say in a wilted voice. “What do you mean you’re back?”

She turns off the flashlight and shoves it into her backpack.

“My plane just landed.”

“What about a phone call?” I say, showing her to the kitchen. “Are you hungry?”

“I called you.”

“You did?” I ask, glancing at her over my shoulder. “When?”

“An hour or so ago.”

I scoop out my phone and take a peek at the screen.

A few notifications alert me to the text messages David has sent me.

I quickly swipe the screen and go to the missed calls.

“Aren’t my calls there?”

“I’m sure they are,” I say, trying to get to that screen as quickly as possible. “Yes, here they are. I’m sorry I was in the bathroom. You could’ve texted me.”

Her smile goes dry.

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