Page 103 of Dizzy

And rings.

I roll over so my back is to the door. The cord digs into my shoulder.

It rings again.

My belly clenches, and my palms sweat.

It rings.

A tear tickles my nose, and I let a deep sigh escape.

Then there’s a click.

“Hello.”

It’s him. He’s pissed. Worried.

“Who is this?” he demands.

I’m gripping the phone so tight, my knuckles ache.

“Fay-Lee?” His voice gentles. “Is that you?”

I can’t answer. There’s a huge lump in my throat, and tears are streaming down my cheeks.

“Where are you, baby? I’ll come get you. It’s okay.”

I sniffle. His words dissolve the knot in my chest. All of a sudden, I can draw in a full breath.

“I ain’t gonna let anyone hurt you. Tell me where you are.” His rumbly voice washes over me. My brain doesn’t believe him—not one little bit—but my body does. Every inch.

“You gotta trust me, baby. Are you safe?” His voice rises, turns urgent. Menacing. “Is someone else there? Put ‘em on the phone.Put ‘em on the phone, Fay-Lee.”

“I’m alone.” It comes out hardly a whisper.

He exhales in relief. “Baby. Where are you?”

“Is Steel Bones gonna kill me? Because of what they think I know?”

“No, baby. No. Who are with? You got to tell me. It don’t matter what you did. No one’s holdin’ you accountable. But the Rebel Raiders are dangerous, baby. I don’t know what they offered you, but you got to get out of there.”

“I didn’t do anything. I don’tknowanything.” My voice rises and shakes.

“Okay, okay. Tell me where you are. I’ll come get you. We’ll sort it out.”

My tears still flow. I didn’t know I could make so many. I blink, but everything’s blurry. He’s saying all the words I long to hear, but he doesn’t believe me when I say I didn’t have anything to do with any of this. He never believed me.

I would be a damned fool if I trusted him.

“Was it real?” My voice cracks. “It wasn’t real, was it?”

There’s silence on the other end. He’s searching for what to say. ‘Cause he doesn’t want to say the truth.

“Fay-Lee—"

“Goodbye, Dizzy.”

“Fay-Lee!” he shouts as I place the phone back on the base with a click.

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