My phone dings and I see it’s a text from Edge: I found her. She’s at Dolly’s. Do you want me to go get her?
I can’t help but breathe out some air I’ve been holding since I got up and discovered her gone. I look up at the agents; they’re at the door, staring at me.
“Sorry, I have to take this. Nice having coffee with you two.”
Deckard takes a step toward me as Raul grabs his arm. The door swings open and my lawyer, Rodney, barges in wearing a three-piece suit.
“What is going on? I want names. This is unbelievable,” he lectures as I text Edge.
Me: No, I’ll pick her up myself.
The door closes as I see my lawyer, who looks almost comical in that he is so perfectly put together, arguing with the agents. I look at Axel.
“Edge found her.”
He stares at me, looks down at his hands and back up. “Well, I guess that’s good news since we don’t have enough shit going on.”
“I’m going to shower and go get her. You’re in charge.”
“You realize you’re bordering on addiction with this girl, right?”
I simply look at him. He sighs and picks up his phone. “Jesus, Blade, go get her.”EVEI have made a huge mistake. I stare at Dolly who is pacing back and forth in her adorable high-heeled sandals. When the phone rang and she started telling Jason off, I felt validated, secure that what I was feeling was right and just. In seconds, I’ve been stripped of that. Her face has gone from angry red to pale and almost eerily quiet. It dawns on me right now that I may be doomed. My only hope is that I didn’t get her in trouble. I look down at my tan legs and my dark purple pedicure. Dolly and I came back from the salon a little while ago. I never went to sleep last night. Jason’s betrayal was too fresh, too soon. What was I thinking? Obviously I’m nothing to him, and all this playing boyfriend and girlfriend stuff was made up in my stupid head. I became so attached I was starting to forget my plan. I try to swallow as I look around Dolly’s domain. It’s well… Dolly. The walls are pink and yellow. She must not have much closet space or her love of style and shopping is her main pastime because in the corner, she has three rolling racks with clothes. Dozens of dresses in every color hang on them.
“Oh my God, what have I done?” When I called her at 5:00 a.m. this morning, whispering about what a disgusting pig Jason was and how I needed to get away, I never thought I might be signing not only my death warrant but hers also. I sink back into her white leather couch, lifting one leg up then the other, seeing as I’m stuck to it. The realization that I have completely subjected myself to death makes me sweat. He wouldn’t seriously kill me. He wouldn’t, right? I keep telling myself he wouldn’t, but the way Dolly has gone mute on the phone and her pale, sallow face makes me want to throw up.
“Okay, Blade.” My eyes snap to hers as she throws her phone on the table.
“Dolly?” My voice sounds almost like a child’s: pretty pathetic. Screw this. If he’s going to kill me, I refuse to go out whining. She covers her face with her hands, almost as if that will protect her.
“Well, fuck,” she screams, and I cringe.
“What did he say?” I’m yelling because she’s screaming every curse word imaginable.
Suddenly the small apartment is quiet and we both stare at each other.
“Okay.” She looks to be trying to calm herself with her hands, almost like she’s strumming a guitar. “So… we’re fucked. But”—she stops me with her finger—“Jason is coming to pick you up, so I think that’s good.” She throws herself next to me on the couch.
“You don’t sound convinced.”
“He’s upset, like super upset. Like so mad I’ve never heard him like that.” She points to her phone and we both look at it like it’s a poisonous snake.
“I’m sorry. I should never have called you and made you come get me. He’s not mad at you, is he?” I’m trying to sound calm since she is anything but. Her crazy laughter is making me think I might have to shake her.
“The only thing you have going for you is that if he didn’t care, he wouldn’t be coming to get you. He would have sent one of his guys… so that’s good.” She’s stuttering and it dawns on me that she’s terrified.
I take her cold hands in my cold hand. “Don’t worry. I’ll tell him I made you, that I needed some air. You know, play it off like we we’re going shopping.” I smile.