Red Shoes, Black Coffee (Red & Black #2)

17 | Get up

Ada

My phone rings just as I'm about to leave. I pause in the door to slide it out of my back pocket. Distracted, I don't even check whose number appears on the screen as I put the cell to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Hi."

My keys fall to the ground with a clink. I was in the middle of the process of putting the key in the lock when all the joints in my fingers stopped working. I freeze with my hand still extended forward and my knees locked together to keep them from crumbling.

"Fiona?"

"J-Jed?" I choke out, my voice faltering. My heart has remembered about its task and starts beating so loud I'm positive he can hear it over the phone.

"Yeah." He doesn't sound so confident either.

"How are you?" I mumble and face-palm myself the moment those words leave my mouth.

How are you? Out of all the questions swirling in my head right now I decide to go with how are you?

Those questions would be smart. I, however, chose how are you.

"I'm fine." Jed sounds surprised and... amused? "Could you go out for a second?"

Um.

"I was just about to."

"Perfect." He says. "Can you meet me outside?"

"Meet y- Where are you?" I stammer.

"I'm not really sure." He pauses for a moment. "I'm standing in front of some giant glass building. It says Irene Diamond Building?" 

Giant glass buildi-

"You're in front of my school?" I ask, my mouth dropping open. I'm absolutely flabbergasted, understanding nothing of what he's telling me.

"Yeah." He extends the vowels. "Or at least I hope so. New York is a big city, you know. It's easy to get lost."

"What are you doing in my school?" I demand. Finally able to move, I kneel down and pick up my keys, gripping them in a tight grip. 

"Technically, I'm not in it." He objects. "I don't think I can actually get inside, so that's why I'm standing on the sidewalk in front of it."

Oh dear Lord... 

"Why are you there?"

"I want to talk to you about something."

"Now?" I blink. "Here?" 

"Yes." His voice doesn't falter. "It's important."

"Uh... I was just going somewhere." I tell him.

"That's okay." He assures me. "I won't take long."

"I'm in a hurry."

"So am I."

I let out a puff of air. It's good to know Jed's stubbornness hasn't gone anywhere.

"Look-"

"It's just five minutes, Ada. I promise." The genuineness I can hear in his voice is not helping the situation. Because something bad is happening to me. 

I'm melting. I'm melting from the inside.

Because as determined as I am to avoid any awkward confrontations with Jed, especially alone, it gets harder and harder to tell him no with every word he speaks. 

"Five minutes and you'll be free. I can even turn on a timer if you want."

I bite my lip. Too many melted intestines.