Page 68 of Stay for Me

Then, I was wrapped in her embrace, and it was then I knew, Abbie was going to be a damn good friend.

“Mr.Gibsy,sir,Iknow—”

Abbie’s words were cut off by the sound of a muffled male on the other end of her phone. I was sitting on the counter, ankles crossed, laptop balanced on my thighs, reading over a contract Thomas had sent.

It’d had been two hours since I came to the shop, two hours since Abbie discovered the truth about Mags and me, and two hours since I’d come to terms with the fact that I would never be able to hear that man’s voice again without hurting.

I looked up from my screen, my glasses perched on the tip of my nose. It had been the first time I’d worn them in months, giving my precious corneas a break from contacts. I watched Abbie as she chewed on her thumb nail, pacing back and forth.

“You and I both know I’m the best damn writer you have,” Abbie countered, her voice steady.

I smirked.

“I can write from anywhere. You don’t need me sitting in an office five days a week to do so,” she argued. Pause. “If I need to find a source in the city, then I’ll go to the city. I was never in the office anyways. I was out, hunting for leads, unlike Mark, who, last I checked, was contemplating the idea of letting an A.I. program write his articles.”

Her boss shouted on the other end, his voice so loud, she had to pull the phone away from her ear.

Abbie shot a look to me, biting her lip. She had him by the balls now. I scrunched my nose at her.

My cell began buzzing by my thigh, pulling my attention from Abbie. I knew it was Thomas, checking in, so I blindly reached for it and put it to my ear.

“Hey, I’m almost done looking this over,” I rambled. “It looks really good, Thomas. I should have it back to you in the next ten minutes.”

The line was silent.

“Thomas, you there?” I asked, reading over the last paragraph while Abbie continued advocating for her career in the background.

“Who the fuck is Thomas?”

Mags’ deep voice filled my ears for the second time today, shocking me so much, I nearly let my laptop fall to the floor. I scrambled to keep it steady, and my eyes shot up, making sure Abbie didn’t see. Thankfully, she was too pre-occupied.

“What are you—”

“Two things, Firefly,” he all but growled, the sound alone heating every single inch of me. “One, hang up on me again, I’ll redden your ass. Two, who the fuck is Thomas?”

A sound left me, something between a squeak and a gasp. “I—what?”

“Not repeating myself.”

I hopped off the counter, my heels clacking against the old tile, my teeth grinding. I closed my laptop. Abbie, who was facing me now, mouthed, “Who is that?”

I lied, mouthing back, “A client. I have to take this outside.”

She nodded, waving me off as I moved across the space, pushing the door open, the late afternoon sunlight hitting my skin. “Where the hell do you get off on calling me and demanding to know my business?” I asked, my chest heaving as I stood in the middle of the sidewalk now.

He was silent.

I pulled the phone away, checking to see who’s phone he was calling me from. I had everyone’s number at Hallow Ranch, but I didn’t recognize this one. “Whose phone is this?” I asked.

“Mine.”

Wait—what?

“You have a phone?”

“Clearly, since I’m talking to you on it.”

“Don’t get smart with me,” I warned.

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