Hot Line | ✓

call #30

his voice is groggy, just like the last time he answered her call. "hello?"

"hi. you told me to text you when i got home."

he looks at the clock, his eyes squinting at the bright red numbers that stare back at him. 3:01am. he pulls his phone away from his ear to check his texts. no messages.

"you didn't text me?"

"that's because i'm calling you instead."

he yawns. "oh."

"shit. i woke you up again, didn't i?"

a tired laugh leaves his mouth. "kind of. it's okay. you got home safe then?"

"yep. home safe."

"good."

there's a moment of silence where neither of them speak. he wonders if that's all she had to say and considers bidding her goodnight, but then she speaks up.

"peter tried coming up with me to my apartment." his body tenses and then she says, "i told him to fuck off."

a satisfied smile makes its way onto his lips. "good. he shouldn't be trying to take advantage of a drunk girl."

"yeah."

she goes silent once more and something about the silence feels off. he rolls onto his side, staring at the bright red numbers that now read 3:03am.

"is something wrong?" he asks quietly. when she doesn't speak, he continues. "teagan, if it's about the whole birthday thing, i really am sor—"

"it's not about my birthday."

"then what is it?"

she sighs. "do you really like val? like, really like her?"

"where is this coming from? haven't we already talked about this? she's a nice girl and we're just having some fun. is that what's bothering you?"

when she doesn't answer he knows he's hit the nail on the head.

"why does that bother you?" he asks, still confused.

the remaining alcohol flowing through her system gives her enough confidence to speak. "what if, hypothetically, another girl liked you?"

"i don't know. i guess it would depend on the girl."

"if you found the right girl then you'd stop talking to val?"

"yeah, sure i guess. we've both agreed that we're just hanging out. it's not serious." he sighs. "i still don't understand why this is bothering you."

"what if you already knew the girl?"

he laughs dryly. "i highly doubt that any of the girls i know have feelings for me."

"maybe you haven't met her yet. maybe she's just someone you talk with on the phone sometimes."

and finally, reality hits him like a smack to the face. his entire body freezes and he swears his heart has stopped pumping blood to the rest of his body. it's the only explanation as to why he suddenly feels so light-headed.

"tee, you've been drinking and—"

"oh, wow. it's late," she says, cutting him off abruptly after realizing what she's done. "i better get to bed. you're right. too much to drink. the hangover is going to be killer."

"tee—"

"goodnight, evan!"

she hangs up the phone.