Page 81 of In Love and War
All I could do in response was nod. I’d done it. I’d proved them wrong. I’d provenhimwrong. Seven years of hard work was paying off. I was well on my way to getting my revenge. Seventeen-year-old Milly would be so happy.
Isn’t this what you wanted?
I stood up, grabbed my phone off the table, and walked out.
My heart was bleeding.
25
Whatever progress I’d made in the last month in my quest to get over Zac was wiped after the meeting. I was worse off than when I’d started, except this time I had no tears left in my body. I was empty. Numb.
I couldn’t get through my list of tasks for the day. I couldn’t really move. I was on my couch again, staring out the window. It’s the only thing I ever wanted to do anymore.
Then, at some point in the evening, it occurred to me that Kai was supposed to be back from Boston. And that he was supposed to have texted me to make our weekend plans… five hours ago.
I picked up my phone to see if I’d just missed the notification. The screen lit up to reveal a new, unread message, but it wasn’t from Kai.
Who the hell is Ben? Also… who changed my background?
I swiped up, but the device asked me for a passcode. I didn’t have a passcode on my phone, never had.
Shit.
I flipped it over. Same model with a black leather case, also similar to mine, but it had brown thread detailing.
This was Zac’s phone. I must have grabbed the wrong one off the table when I left… which meant he had mine. I couldn’t even use it to call myself without the passcode.
So why hasn’t he used mine to call himself yet? I don’t have a passcode. He must have noticed that we’d switched by now…
I thought for sure that I’d hear from him, that he would call, and didn’t leave the device out of my sight for a second. I gave up only when my lids became too heavy to hold up.
I wokeup to the feel of Zac’s phone vibrating against my skin. I’d apparently fallen asleep clutching it to my chest.
I sat up so quickly that stars spotted my darkening vision.
“Hello?” I answered. It was an unknown caller.
“Good morning, may I please speak to Milly?”
“Yes. Good morning. Speaking.”
“Good morning, Miss Bloom! My name is Farhad. I’m calling from the concierge desk downstairs. There is a gentleman here to see you… it seems as though he has your phone? We were advised to reach you using this number.”
Zac. He’s here. He’shere.
“Yes! Thank you, I’ll be right down. Just a few minutes.” I was already putting on my jeans.
I brushed my hair, put on a T-shirt, and did the makeup basics. Concealer, mascara, tinted lip balm. I was as presentable as two minutes would allow.
My heart was beating inside of my throat by the time I got downstairs, and I had to restrain myself from running over to the front desk.
But it wasn’t Zac waiting for me when I got there.
What the hell?
“Andrew? What are you doing here?”
“Good morning. Apparently this is yours.” He handed me my phone and grabbed Zac’s in return. “Zac sent me to do the exchange. He couldn’t wait the full weekend to get it back.”
