Page 91 of We Own Tonight
She doubles over with laughter, and I shake myhead.
Me: Hello, Mr. Multiple Orgasms . . . seriously? I wanted to make sure you’re picking me up at 8? I can’t wait to seeyou.
Mr. Multiple Orgasms: Yup, I’ll be there by eight. I’m leaving in fiveminutes.
My smile is automatic. I can’t wait to see hisface.
“He’ll be here in about twenty minutes!” I tell everyone and go back to my conversation with Savannah. She laughs about the other names Eli’s given himself, and then we allmingle.
Twenty-five minutes pass and still no Eli, so I shoot him anothertext.
Me: Hey, you almosthere?
Another fifteen minutes pass, and he doesn’t respond. Maybe he’s stuck intraffic?
I mingle with my friends, watching the clock and trying not to jump to conclusions. I have to remember that not everything is a tragedy waiting to happen. Years of being preprogrammed to expect the worst is sometimes acurse.
It’s now half past eight, and he’s definitely late, and I’m undeniablyconcerned.
“I’m not sure where the hell he is,” I say to myself as I make my way around the room. I shoot off anothertext.
Me: I hope you’re okay . . . please text me back or callme.
Brody comes over, places his hand on my back, and drops his voice to a whisper. “What’s the matter,Covey?”
I look over withsurprise.
“Don’t look at me like that,” he admonishes. “I can read you. You’re worried about him beinglate?”
I subtly shake my head. “I’m fine. He said he’d be here over a half hour ago, and we both know it doesn’t take that long to get here. He isn’t responding to my texts,either.”
I wait for my phone to buzz with aresponse.
“Everything okay?” Nicole asks when she sees me whispering withBrody.
“She’s just being Heather,” Brodyexplains.
I shoot him a dirty look, and he shrugs. “He usually texts me right back, and he’s now forty minutes late. I’m wondering why he isn’tresponding.”
“Maybe he fell asleep?” she suggests, which isludicrous.
“After he said he was leaving?” Icounter.
“Want me to check in at the station for reports of any accidents?” Brodyoffers.
I shake my head. “No, I’m probably being stupid. I’m going to call himnow.”
I can’t explain it, but there’s a niggling feeling in my gut telling me something else is keeping him. There are times that gut check has been the difference of life and death for me, I don’t tend to ignore it, but I don’t want to be a crazy girlfriend,either.
I make my way outside to see if maybe his car is here, but since there’s no sign of him, I call. The phone rings and rings before his voice mail picksup.
“Hey, babe, I’m calling because it’s been almost an hour since you said you’d be here, and I haven’t heard from you. Give me a call when you can. Loveyou.”
I disconnect the phone and start to pace the porch. My mind races from one extreme to the other as I go from fear to resolve. A big part of me wants to get in the car and head over there, the other says I have to trust him. He could be held up for a hundred reasons, and my being paranoid isn’t going to be good for a long-distance relationship we’re about to embark on. Not wanting to be dramatic, I convince myself to head inside and give him a little moretime.
After another seven minutes, that niggling feeling is now a full-blown boulder threatening to crush me if I don’t get in my car to go findhim.
Randy comes outside, and I give him a fake smile. “Youokay?”
