Page 58 of If You Were Mine
How did I have zero texts at this moment?
Yes, I was meeting my friends at the resort in a bit, that way we could have girl time while Scarlett still kept an eye on the place, however, I didn’t have any other texts.
A slight pang hit me, remembering the random texts that Joshua would send me throughout the day to check in.
Big bro: Have you had your milk yet? You need to be big and strong.
Big bro: When are you going to change my name in your phone? I don’t think I’ve ever heard you use the word bro.
Big bro: Are you wearing your sunscreen? You’re paler than I am.
Big bro: I love you, bug.
Big bro: I haven’t had a photo of Lucky in three days. I’m missing my nephew. Send photos.
Big bro: Dorian says hi. I told him to just text you, but he got weird. He’s weirder than you are, and that’s saying something.
Big bro: Take a look at this view. Yes, I’m the co-pilot this time, so I can take a photo through the airplane window as the pilot does his thing. I’m safe. Promise.
Tears slid down my face as I went through the long texts, realizing that he was never going to respond again. What would happen when somebody got his number?
I was afraid to call and have someone pick up. Or to text, and someone say that I had the wrong number. It was odd that life could end so abruptly, and yet memories of it ebbed in waves long afterward.
Because the paperwork and solace of death never truly catapulted into nothingness. I still had to deal with lawyers and other stacks of papers when it came to Joshua. I still ended up with emails from his old boss, making sure I was okay. Though I had a feeling he was also trying to gauge if I was going to sue him.
I would never. And I knew Dorian didn’t have any plans to either. It had been a true accident. And the company had not been at fault. Those maintenance logs were detailed, and it had just been an act of God according to some.
I would like to think that whatever God you believed in wouldn’t want it to be an act on their accounts, but what did I know?
I was just the person left behind.
I set my phone down, as I was afraid I was going to text someone, and maybe not even Joshua.
Because Dorian had not texted me today. Or yesterday. Or the day before.
I had left the next day, my body sore, my heart full to capacity, and he had promised he would get back to me soon. And then he’d needed to focus on a few work things and get through the rigors of rebuilding part of the house.
I’d been up to my eyeballs in baking issues, as well as two wedding cakes for the resort since sometimes the pastry chef for the Cage Lake Resort was a little testy, so I stepped in.
I had been just as busy if not busier than Dorian, and he hadn’t texted.
Of course I should probably text him, but he had been the one to say he would reach out.
Hadn’t he?
I ran my hands over my face and growled.
Lucky yipped at me, and I slid my hands through his fur.
“I am not good at this whole relationship thing. I don’t even know if this is relationship. Can you tell? Lucky? I feel like you should be able to tell.”
He tilted his head at me, and I rolled my eyes.
“I’m sorry for putting the burden on you. I know you don’t understand Dorian any more than I do. I barely understand myself at this point.”
With a groan, I slid my phone into my purse, then went to get ready.
We were just having dinner at the restaurant at the resort, but the place was higher end than my living room. Meaning I wanted to look somewhat fancy, just not altogether overdone.
