Page 53 of Follow Me Down

“Good morning,” Titusmurmurs against my shoulder seconds before his lips press against my bare skin.

“Morning.” I smile, snuggling deeper into his embrace.

Man, and what a morning it is. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to waking up like this. Titus pressed against me; our limbs tangled together. I honestly can’t imagine a better way to start the day.

I stretch, glancing to the bedside table to see what time it is when something catches my eye. I prop up on my elbow, realizing it’s my cell phone. It takes me a few more seconds to see the white cord extending from the charging port into the outlet next to the nightstand.

My entire body goes rigid.

“What the...” I sit straight up in bed before reaching for my phone. “Did you plug my phone in?” I ask, snagging it off the nightstand before tugging the cord out of the bottom and letting it fall to the floor.

“Yeah. I found it on the floor last night after you had fallen asleep and noticed it was dead. I figured you probably didn’t have a charger with you so I plugged it into mine.”

“Shit. Shit. Shit.” I throw my legs over the side of the bed as I slide my finger across the screen to unlock it, not surprised when I see the message box lit up with the tiny number thirty-six displayed next to the box.

With shaky hands I click on the icon, my stomach bottoming out when I see a couple of messages from Christy and several others from my father.

“Is everything okay?” Titus must pick up on the tension radiating off of me. He sits up and leans in, looking over my shoulder.

“I just... I need a minute.” I quickly push to my feet and head into the bathroom, locking the door behind me before clicking on the first message thread.

Christy:Your dad is trying to reach you.

Christy:I covered for you as long as I could.

I exit out of the text conversation, and after sucking in a shaky breath, open the thread from my father.

Dad:Where are you?

Dad:Call me immediately.

Dad:I don’t know what point you’re trying to make, but this isn’t funny. Call me now.

I don’t read through the rest. I don’t have to. They are sure to be much like the first few.

“Fallon?” I hear the hesitation in Titus’ voice as he lightly raps against the bathroom door.

I immediately power off my phone, praying to god that my father didn’t think to trace it in the time that it was on, but I already know he probably did. I know him.

Even still, I try to convince myself that I’m jumping to the worst-case scenario.

It’s only been ten days. Three days since he expected me home. Certainly he wouldn’t think to trace my phone. At least not yet.

“I’ll be out in a second,” I call back, doing my best to keep myself from panicking.

I spend the next couple of minutes washing my face and brushing my teeth before exiting the bathroom to find Titus sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Hey.” I walk to the other side of the mattress and kneel down, opening my suitcase.

“Everything okay?” His eyes follow me but he doesn’t get up.

“Yeah. Fine.” I drop my phone in the bottom of the suitcase and pull out my last clean outfit, a blue tank and jean shorts. “Do you think I could do a load of laundry later? I’m running out of clean things to wear.”

“Of course.” He pushes to a stand, crossing around the bed. “You sure you’re okay? You seem a little... off.”

“Yeah, no, I’m fine.”

He gives me a look that says he’s not so sure he believes me, but thankfully he doesn’t press the issue.

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