Page 27 of Last Call Lindy Hop
“Yeah,” he murmured, nodding slightly.
“I’m sorry I left you alone for so long.”
He looked up and our eyes met, then he glanced away again. “I’m… it’s not your fault.” He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have to worry about me.”
“I don’t have to do anything,” I reassured him. “But I worry about you because I care. It’s not an obligation.”
He glanced up with a tiny smile. “Thank you.”
I pulled him against my side for a hug, which he melted into with a relieved sigh.
There was something so genuine about Lance—something I hadn’t had in any relationship for a while.
But I was straight… wasn’t I?
“We can stay out here as long as you need,” I said after a minute. “Jackson is taking care of the music for me.”
“Thank you,” he whispered.
We fell silent again and I became hyper-aware of everything around me. The air had a bite of chill to it, but that made the warmth of Lance’s cologne stand out. His chest rose and fell with deep breaths that felt practiced—as if he’d had to develop a habit of deep breathing to cope.
He felt so solid against me, and yet so fragile.
I wanted to be able to hold him together, to keep him from falling apart.
Lance yelped in surprise at the same time I felt a slight buzzing against my thigh.
“Tha-that’s probably Kenzie,” he muttered as the trembling returned.
I held him tight, preventing him from reaching for his phone. “They probably just reached Amber’s apartment,” I murmured. “Just… breathe.”
He huffed out a shaky chuckle, then squeezed his eyes closed and took several deep breaths.
Who—and every minute I spent with him I was more certain that it was a person—had hurt him to the point where his phone could cause a reaction like that?
“I’m ok now,” he whispered after a minute or two.
“Ok,” I said as I released him.
Lance reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He read the message on the screen and typed a reply before putting it away again.
“They’re to Amber’s place,” he stated, “and Kenzie is helping her pack.”
“Ok.”
My own phone chimed, and I checked the message.
“Amber’s mom has her on a plane leaving in just a few hours. Long enough to finish packing, get to the airport, and have enough time to get through security.”
He nodded. “I hope she’ll be ok.” A pause. “I hope her grandfather makes it.”
“Why don’t you give me your number?” I blurted.
“Huh?” he asked, glancing up at me.
“I can check in with Amber,” I explained, “and let you know how things are going.”
“You don’t have to…”
