Page 156 of Only Fools Rush
I’d fucked up.
45
LEONA
Ishut the door in his face and collapsed to the ground.
The tears trickled, but the stabbing pain in my heart left me feeling more numb than anything.
Cas was usually the one I turned to for comfort. He’d been with me through everything—from the time when Romolo had teased me a little too much about liking Max and I cried myself to sleep, to when my dad screamed at me after I got caught at Max’s birthday party at the club, to when I’d gotten my first B on a college paper and was terrified my dad would make me quit. But right now, I wanted nothing to do with him.
I pulled my phone from my pocket, wishing I could talk to Chiara. I stared at my messages.
Chiara would throw on a movie, wrap us up in blankets, and get pints of chocolate cookie dough ice cream for us to devour while we shit-talked whatever person had put us ina mood, as she called it.
Well, now I was ina moodwith no best friend to give me ice cream therapy.
The little cursor in my messages box flickered.
I typed “Are you there, God? It’s me, Leona”and sent it away with a tearful chuckle. It was what we always sent each otherwhen we had gotten in trouble and needed to talk—and usually it resulted in one of us sneaking out to go to the other’s house.
That couldn’t happen anymore. Max was using her as a hostage.
I had to believe she would never throw away our friendship. It would literally ruin me. I held onto hope that she just didn’t have her phone anymore.
I sank even further to the ground.
I felt so lost. What the fuck was I trying to do here? Was all this pointless? Should I just step back, and let the guys handle it? Or should I disappear?
Before I could really question what I was doing, my fingers dialed a number.
“Leona, how are ya?” Fallon’s voice answered from the other side after only two rings.
I gulped. “Um, fine.”
She paused. “Is everything all right?”
“No.” My voice came out strangled.
She sucked in a breath. “Where are ya? Tell me right now.”
“Just at the penthouse.” I slowly pulled myself from the ground. Fallon had way more important things to worry about than me and this stupid fight. It was ridiculous to even call her. What was I hoping for? That she’d give me a pep talk? Smack some sense into my men? “It’s fine. Forget I called. I didn’t mean to bother you.”
“I’m on my way.”
The line went dead before I could respond.
My throat went dry. Tears pricked at my eyes again.
I hung my head between my hands, just ateensybit hopeful that Fallon would come armed and ready to shoot.
A knockat my door had me finally sitting up from the bed. I’d showered, pulled my hair up into a towel, and stared at my phone. I had no idea how much time had passed. Still no response from Chiara.
With a sigh, I pulled open the door and then jerked back in surprise. The Irishwoman stood next to Willow and Zoya Makarova, arms laden with bags.
“What?” I asked, eyes wide. “What is this?”
Fallon pushed past me into the room without a word. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail and she wore joggers with a racerback T-shirt. I’d never seen her look so comfortable.A confused laugh escaped my lips, but I still opened the door wider. “Well, come in, then.”
