Page 113 of Other Side Of Never
When the phone rang, having little hope, I barely glanced at it.When it continued to go off, I put my packing aside and picked it up.Kian’s number flashed on the screen.
“Kian?”
“Hi, sweetheart.How are you?”
“Fine.”I sniffed.
He chuckled.“I know what that means.I’m sorry, sweet girl.It’s been crazy here.I’m doing my best to wrap it up.”
I closed my eyes and took a breath.Letting old insecurities run rampant was silly.This was Kian.My best friend.My lover.The man I loved.
The man who loved me?
Then why didn’t he take you with him?
“Crazy wonderful?”I ventured, squeezing my eyes closed at the tremor in my voice.
He hummed.“Parts.I hope to be home tomorrow or the next day.Are you okay?”
Parts.My heart sank.What did that mean for us?For him?This dribbling of non-information was driving me up the wall.
His absence left me far too much space in which to think, and given space, I always thought the worst.
He continued, his voice softening.“We need to talk when I get back, okay?”
We need to talk.
Talk about what?
“Sure.”The word came out strangled.
“It’s nothing bad, Bridge.Is there something else wrong other than the fact this is taking longer than expected?”he probed.
“No.”
“What is it, Bridget?”he asked sharply.“Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Nothing’s wrong,” I murmured.Unless Gary showed up.I didn’t want to burden Kian, but I didn’t want to keep anything from him either.“Jakey is here.”
“Now?”he exclaimed.
“He left home.Got here last night.”
“Right,” he clipped.“This changes things.I’ll, uh, I’ll see you soon.Hang tight, baby.”
He closed the call without another word.
I looked at the blank screen.
My mind spun with contradicting scenarios, screaming at me to prepare without giving me a single clue how to do so.
I scrubbed both hands down my face and growled into my palms.Tearing them away, I hitched them on my hips and looked around.The chaos I unleashed from the closet spread over the entire room.
If there was one thing I was good at, it was cleaning up a mess.
Two hours later, the boxes lay stacked three deep against the living room wall.Having run out of steam, I left the suitcases open and half-filled on my bedroom floor.
I’d made Jake a space of his own.The rest I could do tomorrow.
