Page 124 of Insatiable

The screen above us flashes upCheck Infor our flighthome.

The number Aria gave me for Tobias’s secret phone burns in my pocket – where my phone starts to buzz.

I slide my bag down my arm and pull it out to see Kade’s name on the screen. I glance up at his sister, who’s none the wiser, whistling to herself while a crowd in front of us argue about their baggage weight.

I don’t answer, but I do send him a text asking if he meant to call.

Then his name is on my screen again.

On the third call, I eventually tell Tylar I need to answer and wheel my suitcase out of the line. There’s no point trying to talk to a drunken Kade while checking in. I’ll just join the queue once I’m done talking to him.

As soon as I answer, I frown at his silence, covering my other ear. “Kade?”

“I don’t… I don’t want to work,” he says, and I can tell he’s really drunk. “Talk to me, Freckles.”

“I’m here,” I reply, moving hair behind my ear. “I thought you were out with Dez and Base? Did you leave the club?”

“I don’t want to work,” he says again, but I can hear his voice going strange, as if he’s trying to stay awake. “I don’t.”

“Where are you?”

He coughs, then I hear the sound of his lighter flicking, him inhaling and exhaling a lungful of smoke. “Did I wake you?”

I sigh. “No. Where are you?”

“An alleyway.” He slaps his hands together. “I can’t get rid of the blood. My palms are red as fuck.”

My eyes widen. “You’re bleeding?”

He laughs once – low and deadly. “Not mine. It’s dark here – I kinda like it.”

“Where’s Dez and Base?” I look over at Tylar and Lu, still waiting impatiently. The airport is so loud, I decide to quickly go outside to hear him better. “Kade?”

“Club. I had to go do a stupid job.”

I lean my back against the wall next to the entrance, the cold nipping my skin. “Why did you call me?”

“I wanted to,” he replies, inhaling more smoke. “Do you remember when we made a deal to quit smoking?”

“Yeah?” I haven’t touched a cigarette since.

“I used to sneak one behind your back.”

I laugh, my cheeks heating. “I knew. You were never good at hiding your cigarettes.”

We talk about those times, and I try not to think about him trying to kill himself after we split up. Fifteen minutes go by, maybe longer, and I’m hoping one of his friends finds him soon, or he gets an Uber to his hotel. He tells me that Barry is coming, but then says Barry might be dead, and I gasp.

“I’m kidding.”

“That’s not funny, Kade. My gate closes soon, so I’ll need to come off the phone.”

“I guess I wanted your voice to be the last I heard…”

I straighten. “What? What do you mean?”

“I took something I shouldn’t have, and I needed to hear you before…” he slurs. “Wait, I’m not hallucinating, am I? Are you actually talking to me?”

“What did you take? What kind of drug?”

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