Page 50 of Property of Fox

With a sigh, I tear into the packaging and unveil what’s nestled inside. A phone.

“You got me a phone?”

“It’s pre-paid, so there’s no way to track you with it.”

“I don’t know what to say,” I smile.

“I do,” Keira mutters, hopping on the bed. The motion almost shaking the phone from my hand. “Use this and call Fox.”

I've lost count of how many times I've thought about calling him, his business card burning a hole in my pocket.

“That’s not a good idea, Keira.”

“Look, B. Did he mess up by not telling you about the whole fake dating thing with Eden? Yes. I will not give him an inch with that. But,” she continues, “he’s also the guy who made you feel things that no one else has. You deserve to know if what you felt was real or just a game.”

I can feel her eyes drilling into me, assailing the barriers I’ve carefully constructed since Fox walked away.

“He may not even still be here, Keira. Maybe it’s the best for both of us. He has his life. I am still trying to figure out mine.”

Keira scoffs, tossing a loose strand of hair behind her shoulder. "You're kidding yourself if you think it would be better for you to just pretend he didn’t happen. Because it most certainly did, and deny it all you want, but I know you really like him. I heard you calling out his name last night in your sleep. If that isn’t a sign to call him, I don’t know what else I can say to convince you.”

“I called for him?” I feel the rush of a blush flaring on my cheeks.

“Fox, please! Oh my god, Fox, yes,” she moans.

“I did that?” My embarrassment only growing further. “Please tell me that you’re kidding.”

“I am not. I thought about recording it, but…I didn’t.” I bury my face in my hands.

“Brea,” she says softly, her voice coaxing me out from behind my defenses. “If he made you feel all that, don’t disregard it just because you’re scared.”

I inhale deeply, trying to summon some semblance of rationality. Keira's law of friendship applies here. If she senses something is worth fighting for, I should do it.

“Okay,” I whisper, finally, hesitation curling around the edges of my resolve. “What if he doesn’t answer? He could have changed his mind.”

Keira shrugs. “Then you make a choice. Either stay back and let that eat you alive, or take a leap and see if he catches you.”

I nod slowly. Her words are laced with the authority of someone who knows what it means to fight for what you want in life. As I glance at the phone again, hope flickers...but fear grips me tighter in response.

“I...I’ll think about it,” I say, trailing off as I pick up the sleek device again, its power resting in my hands.

“Thinking is a start,” Keira replies, bouncing up from my bed like a spring. “You hungry? I was thinking about running into town and picking up breakfast.”

“Yeah, I could eat.” I rattle off my order, a simple request of scrambled eggs and bacon, and as quickly as Keira appeared, she disappears back out of my bedroom door.

I sit alone for a moment, the phone still warm in my hand. Every tick of the clock feels like a challenge, urging me to act. My heart races as I wrestle with the idea of reaching out.

What if he really felt it? What if none of this was just a game?

Throwing the covers aside, I rise and make my way to the bathroom. The steamy water cascades over me, washing away traces of the night. Dressing in faded jeans and a snug t-shirt, I catch a whiff of breakfast wafting from the hallway. I open the door, only to find Keira on the other side of it.

“Breakfast is here. Did you decide yet?”

“I think… no… I know I should call him.”

“Then call him. If he doesn’t answer, you’ll have your answer.”

I pad back into my room, the phone's sleek surface glinting under the overhead light like a challenge. My fingers wrap around it tightly, trembling at the thought of what could happen.

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