Page 49 of Fight for You (Flirting with Forever 2)

From the front door, I call out to Sawyer as I let myself in. “Sawyer, are you still here?” We’d called it a night at eleven because the girls knew I wanted to get back and tell him what’s been going on. Hopefully, he won’t be too upset because it’s way past time for me to spill everything, lay it all out there, and see where we go from here. I have a good feeling about it, though. In my heart I know Sawyer is the kind of man who will stand by me.

I smile when Space Ghost comes trotting up to me and bend down to give him a rub on the back of his neck. I raise my voice. “Sawyer?” I look around for a second, searching for any sign that he’s here. The TV is on in the living room. I worry my lip with my teeth as I look around. I guess he fed the cat and went home because Space Ghost is watching the History Channel all by himself.

“Why would he have gone home?” I wrinkle my nose in confusion and then remember I need to check my messages since I’d left my phone on my dresser before I went out. I head to my bedroom to retrieve it, but it’s not there. I make a slow turn around the room, frowning. “Well, shit.” In a huff, partly because I was finally ready to talk to Sawyer tonight about everything and he’s not here and partly because I can’t find the damn phone, I march back out to the living room.

“Ah-ha.” I spy it on the coffee table … where I know for sure I didn’t leave it. I’m filled with dread as I cross the room and snatch it up. Instantly, I know Sawyer must have seen something on my phone. Ugh, how many times did I think to myself that I need to change the settings on my phone so pictures and messages aren’t immediately visible?

And sure enough, when I look at the locked screen, there are two new messages from Ed, one of which is another nude photo. The third message is from Sawyer.

Sawyer: You could have just told me you were with him again.

Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no. I moan and lift a shaking hand to my forehead. Well, that’s confirmation that Sawyer saw the nude photo … and the text where Ed said I’m his. But I’m not and won’t ever be again, thank you very much.

I quickly click on Sawyer’s contact info and put a call through to him. It rings several times and then goes directly to voice mail. Shit. I rub at my face in frustration. The last thing I’d wanted was for him to find out about the photos this way. And I definitely see how he could assume the worst from the text. Damn, damn, damn.

“Sawyer, pick up. I need to talk to you. There are things I need to tell you. I’m really sorry you saw those messages before I had a chance to say something, but it’s not what it looks like.” I exhale loudly into the phone. “Call me back when you get this. It doesn’t matter what time.”

I follow that up with a text.

Me: It’s not what you think. Please talk to me.

And then one to my girls, too.

Me: Ed texted another photo along with a message and Sawyer saw it while he was kitty-sitting.

Quinn: Oh, shit.

Sophia: Did you try calling?

Me: He’s not answering.

Zoey: Could you go to him? Try to explain?

Me: I’ve never been to his apartment. I don’t know where he is.

Madison: Oh, girl. I’m so sorry.

Piper: What are you going to do?

Me: I feel like I’ve done all I can until he either contacts me or I see him at school on Monday.

Sophia: Can I just say I think it’s strange he’d automatically assume you’re cheating on him or something?

Quinn: Yeah … I’m kind of mad for you.

I wince. I could so easily say the same, except I know things about Sawyer that they don’t. I know what Tara did to him and how badly it messed him up. I just need to make him see that I’m not her.

Me: I get why you’d think it’s not cool that he’d make assumptions, but I also understand why it would look that way to him.

Me: And I really feel like this is at least partly my fault.

Chapter 30

Sawyer

It’s an interesting coincidence that I’d planned to go see the finals of the regional wrestling championship, which are taking place at NHS this morning starting at nine, as part of my student teaching observations. I’d also volunteered to take a shift at the snack bar, and now I’m totally wishing I hadn’t because after last night, I’d like to just skip out on the whole damn thing.

I’d awoken this morning after a fitful sleep not feeling very confident. I’m torn up inside; I’m confused, and if I’m honest, more than a little hurt about what’s going on. Why the fuck does that man have naked photos of my girlfriend? I’m not sure when I’d started considering her mine, but to have him say in that text that she’s his had thrown me for a loop, too.

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