Page 78 of Holiday Hire

I rise, put the phone to my chest, and state, "I'll be right back."

Alexander's eyes darken.

I go into my bedroom and shut the door. "Lance—" I start.

"Why don't you want me anymore, Phoebe?" he whines, cutting me off.

Guilt fills me. I reply, "Lance?—"

He cuts me off again, accusing, "Admit it! You're playing games?—"

"Lance, call me when you're sober. I don't need to be harassed!" I interject.

He scoffs. "Harassed? Calling you is harassing you now?"

"Calling me when you're drunk and making insinuations is harassing me."

"Making insinuations? What am I insinuating?" he hurls out.

I sit on the bed and close my eyes. My heart pounds harder, but it's not with anticipation or excitement anymore. It's with annoyance.

He continues with more disdain in his tone. "So what have you been doing with the Cartwrights?"

I answer, "I'm not having this conversation with you right now."

"No? Then when are you going to talk to me? You don't want me there. You say we're still together, but it sure as hell doesn't feel that way, and then I call you and you don't even want to talk," he accuses.

I cringe. Everything he said is true. I can't deny it, but it sounds worse than it feels in my head.

Lance lowers his voice to a softer tone. "You don't miss me at all?"

There's another tug on my heart, mixing with my anger. I haven't thought about him since he left. And we didn't exactly part on good terms.

He asks, "What's the point of us taking a break if you don't even miss me?"

"I do," I claim, but deep down it's a lie. I know I haven't missed him.

It's because I'm so busy.

No, it's not.

Yes, it is.

"Do you, Phoebe?" he asks softer, piling on the guilt.

So I reassure him. "Yeah, of course I do."

"Then talk to me. If you've ever loved me, talk to me. Please."

I take a deep breath. The desperation in his voice is something new. I'm not sure how to take it.

He continues, "Tell me what you've been doing all night."

"We had the beach party."

"Isn't it too cold to go swimming?" he asks.

"Yeah, but we didn't swim. We cooked over the campfire and the kids played games."

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