Page 51 of Come Home to Me

There’s a stretch of silence long enough to make me think he hung up. I pull my phone from my ear and glance at the screen. He’s still there, though I’m not sure for how much longer.

I imagine him sitting alone in his apartment. Angry. Lost. Drunk. I wish I could be with him right now. I don’t want to wait until Friday. I need to be in Denver. Now.

When Frank finally responds, cynicism laces his words. “I thought no one could count on you to stick around.”

“Yeah. So did everyone else.”

“So why are you sticking around?”

“Because you’re worth it.” I start pacing, working on a plan, a list of ways to keep him distracted until I can get back to Denver and intervene. “Now do me a favor and get rid of that whiskey. I need you to be sober when you pick me up from the airport on Friday. I promise you, we’ll figure out a way to get through this.”

Though honestly, I don’t know how I’m supposed to help him. I’ve never been the one to hold someone else up and I suspect Frank’s not usually the one to fall. I end the call and race inside, desperate to figure out what to do next.

Tessa and Colton look up when I burst into the living room, twin looks of surprise on their faces. I explain what happened and Colton frowns.

“Don’t you think it’s a bad sign that this guy hits one little bump in the road and falls off the wagon?”

“You don’t know Frank,” I say.

“And you do? After two whole months?”

“Yes.” I place as much emphasis on the word as I can and then explain all the reasons I’m falling in love with Frank. His kindness. His intelligence. His humor. His willingness to stand by me when anyone else would have walked away.

Colton shakes his head. “But how do you know any of that is who he really is? It’s easy to be amazing when you have everything going for you. Maybe you’re about to meet the real him.”

My heart rejects the thought outright. “Frank is a good man.”

“Maybe he is. But it also sounds like he’s an alcoholic who’s still in denial.”

“He’s not in denial.” I begin to explain his one-drink limit but stop. Even I can hear how silly it all sounds. If Frank had everything under control, then he wouldn’t be drunk right now.

A battle begins between my heart and my mind as I digest the conversation.

“What are you going to do?” Tessa asks, her hand on mine.

“My flight’s in two days. I’m going back to Denver and I’m going to support him through this.”

Colton rolls his eyes. “Are you sure that’s the best decision?”

“I’m only here because of Frank. If it weren’t for all the good advice he had for me, I’d be hiding in Denver, nursing my wounds so hard I tore them open again. Whatever he’s going through, I owe it to him to be there.”

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