Page 32 of All Tied Up
Sitting up, I swung my legs off the bed and moved closer to stare down at the necklace. It was nestled in navy velvet and secured with satin. I gripped my hands tightly to my chest, backing away from it, as if it were a snake ready to strike. But perhaps a snake bite might have been less painful.
I swallowed over the familiar lump that had taken up residence in my throat.
A diamond and sapphire necklace.
I pressed a fist against my heart. I sank back down on the edge of the bed. No goodbye. No explanation. Just a gift. A ridiculously expensive one.
I winced. Although it didn’t feel like a gift. He hadn’t given it to me wrapped, saying,Merry Christmas. He’d left it beside my bed without a note. It felt like … like a payment. For what? Sex? Was that what we had become? I spread my legs, and he left me expensive jewelry to ease his conscience?
I blew out a breath and gave in to the tears. They wereinevitable. Giving in now and letting them go would be easier than trying to refuse the emotion. At least I wasn’t standing and wouldn’t end up on the floor this time. That had been rock bottom for me. I wasn’t allowing myself to go back there again.
Yet, as I assured myself of that, sobs shook my shoulders. I wanted to think he’d be back today or that he’d call me, but I already knew the truth. If he’d wanted to return to what we had been, he’d have explained his absence. He’d have stayed. Left me a letter even.
Was I expected to wait around until he had time to show up again? Or was my necklace a parting gift?
I glared hatefully at the offending item. There was no telling the price tag on it. The case it was in saidHarry Winston. Of course it was. I’d never even bought myself something from there. The damn thing probably needed its own insurance policy. I’d mail the thing to him if it didn’t cost so much. I would just shove it at him the next time he showed up … if there was a next time. I could use it to slap his face instead of my hand.
Letting out a frustrated growl, I shot up off the bed and slammed the lid to the jewelry box closed.
“Damn you, Ransom,” I muttered at the item, then snatched up my phone while wiping my wet cheeks with my hand and headed for the kitchen.
I was almost to my coffee maker when my phone rang, and like an idiot, I flipped it over to look at it while my heart picked up its pace.Unknownflashed on the screen, and I paused before hitting Answer.
“Hello,” I said, trying to tamp down the hope that this was Ransom blossoming in my chest.
No one said anything. I pulled the phone back and glanced at it to be sure the call hadn’t been dropped. It was active. Someone was on the other line. Or maybe it was a spam call and the recording hadn’t started yet.
I waited. A minute went by as I stared at the clock on the microwave. Nothing. I looked again, and the call still hadn’t ended.
“Hello?” I repeated, knowing I should hang up, but my stupid need for this to be Ransom stopped me.
“It’s your fault,” the same voice that had called before said.
Frowning, I started to ask what was, but the call ended. Slowly, I laid the phone down on the counter and moved away from it, as if it were the cause of the odd calls I’d received.
My phone lit up again, and I started to take another step back, as if it were going to harm me, but Jellie’s name appeared, along with a text. Letting out a sigh, I moved back to the counter and slid my finger over the screen to read what she had said.
Jellie: I asked for one thing. ONE SIMPLE thing. The sandcastle Jellycat. I even sent him a picture of it! It wasn’t a freaking diamond or designer purse. IT WAS A JELLYCAT! Why is he so slow? What do I need to do to this man in order to get the point across when I want something? Do you know what he got me? A toaster! He bought me a freaking toaster. Apparently, I said it was cute or something! And it is! But I don’t want a toaster for Christmas!!! What am I, eighty?
You’d have thought by now that he’d know that those silly stuffed animals that shared her name was all it took to make herhappy. He’d probably paid too much for whatever cute toaster he bought. I was a little curious about what kind it was and what it looked like. But I didn’t ask for a picture just yet. She wasn’t done venting.
Me: Men. They need more than pictures. They need you to tell them things.
As if I was one to give any advice on men.
Her dots appeared as she began typing, and I set the phone back down, knowing this was going to be a long one. Moving over to the coffee maker, I started to make a cup while I gave her time to respond. Once I had it going, I glanced back at my screen to see that she’d sent another one.
Jellie: He is mad now! Because I wanted the Jellycat! He said I was impossible to please! SERIOUSLY! I am moving to Manhattan. We will be roommates and grow old together. Screw men! We don’t need them. You just have to buy me the damn Jellycat I want when it’s a holiday.
I’d needed a distraction, and Jellie was good at that.
Me: Deal. But you’re not getting my office. You’ll have to take the guest bedroom.
I waited for her response, doing my best to focus on this and not Ransom. Or his damn necklace.
The phone started to ring, and Jellie’s name lit up the screen.
I hit Answer and put it on speaker.
