“We’re here if you need us, baby.”
“I know. Thanks. I’ll see you soon. There’s another call I have to make first.”
Bree ran her fingers over the lettering on Zack’s tombstone as she waited for Jace to answer his phone.
“You’re ’bout drivin’ me crazy,” Lyric said to Jace. She’d taken him back to the house in Palmer Lake, where he’d hoped to find Bree. She wasn’t there, but Jace refused to leave until one of two things happened. Either she came home, or she called him. Otherwise, he was staying put.
“You can leave if you want to.”
“And then what? I live here, remember? Although lately, it hasn’t felt much like I do.”
“I’m sorry. Do your thing. Pretend I’m not here. In fact, if you want me to wait somewhere else, say the word, and I’ll go wherever you point me.”
“Nah, you’re fine. But would you please sit down?”
Jace almost dropped his phone when it rang.
“Hi,” he answered, knowing it was Bree.
“Hi.” Her voice sounded remote.
“Where are you?”
“I’m with Zack. I needed somebody to talk to.”
It took him a minute to figure out what she meant.
“Bree, I need to talk to you, and it’s important. Can we please meet somewhere?”
“Where are you now?”
“I’m at your house.”
“I can come home.”
Jace looked over at Lyric, who could obviously hear what Bree was saying. She nodded her head.
“Okay. I’ll wait here for you.”
“Jace…”
“Yes?”
“I told you before, if you’re only going to tell me that you’re in love with Blythe, I already know you are, and I don’t need to hear you say it.”
“This has nothing to do with Blythe, except that it has something to do with Tucker. Otherwise, that’s the only connection.”
20
Jace was still pacing when he saw Bree’s car pull into the driveway. Even though it would be the second time he told this story today, he didn’t feel as though telling it again would be any easier.
He had a glass of wine waiting on the counter for her. He knew, by the time he got through his story, she’d want a glass.
“Hi,” she said when she walked in the back door. She looked as though she had been crying. Now might not be the best time to tell her his story, but he didn’t have a choice; he’d be gone tomorrow.
“Should we sit down?” she asked.
“Sure, if that’s what you’d like to do.”