“Hurry and get me home, man,” I say to the cabbie. It’s the usual cabbie that gets the girls to work in the mornings. He must jump whenever he hears it’s the Carmichael account.
“Mr. Aiden, sir. I will. But, can I say something?”
“Yeah,” I bite off impatiently. I need to get home to her.
“Carly has shining spirit. I saw it first day when I bring her from the airport. She is one of those pure souls. You understand?”
“What?” I’ve heard him, but what the fuck is he on about?
“I brought her and Ally to work and to home today. Her spirit isn’t shining today. I heard some of what you play on your phone just now.”
I give my head a shake. “It’s a misunderstanding…”
“If you burn out that light, you will regret for all time…” He lets that hang and speeds up.
Fuck sakes.
My phone rings. Adele. I can’t right now. I reject the call.
***
I rush into the apartment, dropping my bag. My phone starts ringing again. Austin. I toss the phone to the couch.
I throw the door open to her room. She’s not in there. I throw the door open to mine. Not there, either. She’s not in the bathroom or the laundry room.
I’m tearing my fingers through my hair, trying to find her. I’m about to head downstairs to Ally’s when I spot that she’s out on the terrace. She’s sitting in the dark, staring out.
I step out, feeling so much fucking relief.
“Baby.”
She doesn’t look up at me.
“Carly…”
She still doesn’t look at me.
I start talking. “Bella sent me the audio. I was talkin’ shit. I didn’t know you. I was being an asshole. This wasn’t… it isn’t about playing games or fucking you over.”
“Okay,” she whispers.
“You don’t believe me.”
I get to my knees in front of her and take her face into my hands.
She looks so fucking sad. She swallows.
“I didn’t say that. I figured it. You wouldn’t have told me all those personal things… you wouldn’t have me around your family, people you care about if we weren’t real.”
I breathe out relief and put my forehead to her knees and wrap my arms around her waist.
She’s stiff as a board. I look up.
“Then why have you been dodging me? Why are you looking at me like you don’t know me? Why are you stiff?”
“You had her beaten,” she whispers.
I jerk back. “I didn’t.”