Page 29 of Strange Seduction
Call downstairs for the driver, and they’ll send him over. I love you.
—Teddy.”
I turned the card in my hand and took a deep breath before tossing it back on the nightstand.
He could’ve woken me up before he left. Knowing him, he didn’t want to risk me demanding that we talk before he left. He doesn’t like conflict being forced on him.
But I would’ve been understanding if he had given me the chance.
Ugh.
I pulled the covers closer, suddenly aware of how naked I felt in every sense of the word.
We needed to talk—face to face.
Abouteverything.
Even though I wasn’t ready to reveal why Marcus kept in contact, I could reassure him that nothing was going on between us. I didn’t come to Italy to tiptoe around feelings or drag out whatever this was for two weeks. And I couldn’t take much more of this avoidant game we were playing.
I came to Italy to get high, eat, drink, and sleep, all with Theo.
That was the plan. And we were already failing miserably.
I exhaled hard, reaching for my phone.
Why the hell was my call log open?
Pushing the thought aside, I dialed his number. To my surprise, it rang once and hung up.
A text followed shortly after:
Teddy:Can I call you back? I’m busy right now.
Tuh!
The man who left board meetings to answer my calls about the raise in grocery prices was suddenly too busy to answer?
This confirmed he’s hiding something. And whatever it was had to be big.
Without answering him, I tapped open FaceTime and plopped onto the edge of the bed. Jayda and Izzy’s faces popped up in split screen—Jayda still in her bonnet, Izzy already sipping an iced coffee like she’d been awake for hours.
Alyssa didn’t pick up, and Mantis was probably still knocked out.
“Okay, so tell us everything,” Jayda said, already grinning. “How was the first night?”
I rolled my eyes and angled the camera toward the empty bed behind me.
Izzy squinted. “Huh, where’s Theo?”
“Gone,” I said flatly. “Out to work before I woke up.”
“Again?!”
They both sounded appalled. I guess they really were living through me.
Izzy winced. “Oof. Okay, not the romantic Italian morning we were looking for.”
I sighed and leaned back. “I waxedevery inchof my body, okay? I’ve been on a juice cleanse for the past three weeks to get my stomach flat. I even flew out Elliot fucking Sawyer to do my hair. Do you know how expensive Elliot Sawyer is?”
