Page 87 of In Good Company

LUCY

I wake up with my cheek pressed to Cal’s chest. His heartbeat is steady against my skin as I rouse from the most peaceful night of sleep I’ve ever had.

The slow rhythm of Cal’s breathing tells me he’s still fast asleep. I smile, loving that I’ve woken up before him. If I can slip away without disturbing him, I want to make him breakfast in bed. My smile gets even wider at the idea. I’ve made him breakfast countless times, but something about making him breakfast after being next to him all night makes it seem more special.

I slide out of his hold inch by inch, moving incredibly slowly so I don’t wake him up. The moment my feet hit the soft material of the rug, I let out a sigh of relief.

I’d gone to bed without a hint of clothing on. My dress still lies on the floor next to his discarded clothes, but I don’t feel like putting it back on. Instead, I tiptoe to his closet and pull one of his button-ups off a hanger. I also grab a pair of his briefs before quietly putting both items on. The shirt is so long on me that it falls just above my knees, while the briefs are big enough that I need to roll the waistband once to keep them on my hips.

They don’t fit right, but I kind of love it.

I leave his closet as quietly as I can and tiptoe my way to the bedroom door. Before I leave, I turn and commit the view of Cal fast asleep in bed to memory. I love how every single one of his facial features is relaxed. There’s no hard set of his jaw or the intense pull of his eyebrows together on his forehead.

He looks at peace. When he first asked me to be with him after this summer, I didn’t know how the rest of our night would go. I was terrified I was going to lose him before the summer even ended, but he seemed to have accepted my answer.

He never asked about Virginia again. After we had sex, we showered together, both of us giggling like little kids as we helped clean each other’s bodies. I don’t know how long we lay in bed talking about the most random things, but it was the best night of my life.

His surprise and the thoughtfulness behind it.

The way the sex between us felt different. I’ve never felt more connected to someone than I did last night. It was incredible.

My favorite part might’ve been falling asleep next to him. We talked until we both got so sleepy that our words became slower and slower until we both drifted off. The last thing I remember is Cal telling stories of him and Jude in boarding school before sleep pulled me under.

I manage to sneak out of Cal’s room without waking him up. Once I make it to the hallway, I hurry to the kitchen and try to come up with a plan for breakfast.

I’m shocked to find the kitchen clean. Cal’s housekeepers must’ve already come by for the morning. I’ve always wondered how often he has people help with the house. Every morning I show up to work, it’s obvious the house has been cleaned; they’re just always gone by the time I get there.

I blush, relieved that Cal had shut the door to his room afterwe’d taken a shower. If he hadn’t, his housekeepers would’ve gotten a show this morning since both Cal and I went to bed naked.

I’m trying to think of what ingredients I know we have when I spot my phone on the counter.

Guilt washes over me as I realize I’d gone all night and morning without checking it.

I rush over to my phone, turning it over to find countless missed calls from my mom.

My stomach sinks as I click her name to call her back. I’m filled with more and more dread with each ring she doesn’t answer.

The call goes to voicemail. I immediately call her back as I pace Cal’s kitchen, waiting for her to pick up.

“Lucy,” my mom answers, her voice raw. I know just by the tone of her voice that something is very wrong. “Are you okay? I’ve been calling all night.”

“Mom, I’m fine. I’m sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking.” I take a deep breath, trying not to let my voice break. God, I can’t believe I’d gone all night and into this morning without checking my phone. “What happened?” I ask, my voice breaking.

“Your dad was closing the store last night. When I hadn’t heard from him, I called Alec to see if maybe he had. He hadn’t either, so I drove to the store and found your dad unresponsive.”

My hand covers my mouth in shock. “Oh my God,” I cry, my eyes frantically darting around the kitchen as I try to process what my mom’s saying.

I’m terrified to ask my next question because I don’t know if I’m prepared for the answer.

“Is he okay?” I ask, my voice breaking.

“We’re in the hospital now, just waiting for answers. Theydon’t know what happened, but as of right now, it seems like he’s going to be okay. I don’t really know. No one will tell me anything.”

I let out a breath of relief as I run through the things I need to grab. I’ve got to get home.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” I tell her. It’ll take me hours to get to the closest airport and get a flight out, but there’s nothing I can do about that. Before I can even start the three-hour drive to the airport, I’ll need to run by my place and grab some clothes.

“Oh, honey, I can handle it,” my mom assures me.

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