Sadie (18+)

Chapter 45

My phone vibrated for a long time. I contemplated whether answering it was the best idea, but of course, I eventually gave in. Sitting up in my bed with my blanket wrapped around my shoulders, I accepted the call.

"Sadie?"

The sound of his voice nearly brought me to tears. I had missed it so much, hearing it only in dreams, in memories not strong enough. I placed the leopard in my lap and toyed with it, anticipation bubbling in my chest.

My voice came out weak, "Hi."

"Can we talk?"

My heart flipped, wild and erratic against my ribcage. "I'm listening."

"In person," he said quietly.

"Why?"

"Because I want to see you again."

I felt a warmth spread throughout my body, one not erotic, but fueled only by euphoria, by relief, by something inexplicably dangerous. However, I remained apathetic, my tone nonchalant and light. "Okay. Where?"

"I'll be outside in ten."

I hung up, sprung from the bed, and threw on something presentable. My mother was asleep, but I tiptoed past her bedroom anyways, then made a run for the front door. I plopped myself down on the front step, sucking in the fresh air, waiting until headlights reflected in my eyes, the rumble of the engine filling the quiet night.

He watched me get into the car, lips set in a thin line, jaw clenched. In his presence, the hair on my skin rose, goosebumps prickling along my neck. The tension oozed like honey, our eyes meeting but no words surfacing. I shoved my trembling, sweaty hands between my thighs.

Clad in a dark crewneck, a thick beard decorated his jaw and beneath his nose. And as handsome as he was, I couldn't help but take notice of the exhaustion that plagued his features. It was imbedded in his skin, around his eyes, but also in his movements, the way he rolled his neck from side to side. It hung over him like a gloomy cloud, and the sight pained me.

His rough voice sliced through the silence, "I tried not to call you, but I had to. I'm worried about you."

I didn't want him to know how horribly I'd been handling his absence. I straightened my spine and wet my lips before speaking with what I hoped was confidence, "Why? I'm fine."

He shook his head. "Come on, Sadie. You don't have to lie to me."

"I'm not," I insisted, looking down at my lap.

He inhaled deeply, blowing out through his nose. "Have you eaten dinner?"

My appetite had decreased significantly since we'd parted. And of course, it was a lifestyle change to no longer have the exquisite dinners that Gina prepared.

"I haven't," I mumbled sheepishly, "but I'm fine."

He twisted his body, reaching into the backseat to retrieve a plastic container. His minty breath had momentarily fanned my face, to which I swallowed, pretending it had no effect on me.

He handed the container over to me. "Gina put some aside for you. She was worried you haven't been eating."

It looked like spaghetti and meatballs, the plastic still warm beneath my hands. I had assumed Julia filled her in on my sudden betrayal, but to set aside dinner for me indicated she still cared. It was something I most certainly didn't deserve.

"Why?" I asked, placing the container down next to me.

"Just because you're not friends with Julia anymore doesn't mean we stopped caring about you," he said. His eyes flickered around my face, searching.