I stare down at my phone for long minutes, knowing he isn’t going to text back, and that’s all the answer I need. He was always so quick to respond when I texted before. Even when it got closer to the end, after I told him I needed time and space and he only sent emojis and a simple okay, he was pretty quick. His non-answer is my answer.
I drop my phone on my bed and go back out into the living room. If I give myself the chance to obsess over it, that’s exactly what I’ll do.
Harley’s chuckle stops me in my tracks in the middle of the hallway. It makes a little sunshine come back into my life, but then he notices me, and his face goes blank again. He’s punishing me. I’ll take whatever he can dish out so long as he’s not really living in his own little personal hell twenty-four seven.
I head to the kitchen, pretending that I didn’t observe his quick change in attitude and wash his plate from lunch, then I spend ten minutes actually tasting my own food for the first time in days.
I manage to stay busy in the kitchen for several hours, packing dishes to take to Goodwill before heading back to the bedroom to check my phone. When I pick it up, I gasp, shocked to have a text waiting for me from Micah.
He doesn’t shoot me down or tell me to go to hell, but the hotel name and room number is just as weird.
I don’t message him back a million questions although they’re running through my head the entire time I’m getting ready for work.
Harley doesn’t inch away from me when I sit down on the sofa beside him. I’m counting it as a win. I miss his smiles and his quick hugs. I miss the way he crawls in my lap and invades my space. I miss the millions of questions he asks and the way he’s always asking me trivia questions. I just miss him.
I know we’ll get back to that eventually, but I’m sad that we aren’t experiencing any of that right now while we have the chance.
“I read online that your new school has three slides on the playground.”
“I don’t want to talk about my new school,” he mutters.
“Okay. Well, go get your pajamas on. I have to head to work.”
I’m not going to mention that I’m going to see Micah before work. It would only break his heart, and he wouldn’t understand why he can’t come.
It only takes a few minutes before Harley is back out in the living room with his pillow and favorite blanket. My heart is in my throat when I kiss him on the forehead as he settles on Mrs. Greene’s couch for the last time. I’m near a panic attack driving across town. My heart is racing when I lift my hand to knock on the hotel room door.
Chapter 20
Snake
I’ll never get over that feeling I get the very first time I see her each time.
The most beautiful woman I’ve ever set my eyes on. I love it when she looks at me. I don’t care if she’s happy or sad, angry or scared. When her eyes are on me for a split second, everything in my world is absolutely perfect.
Tonight is no different.
Even with the nervousness tightening her shoulders, there’s a blink of time where our worlds aren’t crumbling around us.
“Lucy,” I whisper, my hands aching to reach for her.
Her eyes dart up to mine, then they look past me almost as if she expects me to not be alone. I barely keep myself from huffing. She must not have much faith in me if she thinks I could ever spend another second of my life with any woman other than her.
I step aside, an invitation for her to come in but also proof that I’m here alone. She wavers on the threshold for a long moment before making her decision to enter.
She doesn’t speak as she steps into the center of the room, turning to face me. I don’t ruin the moment by speaking of regrets or begging her to stay like Robbie urged me to do days ago. Her mind is made up and so is mine. There’s no turning back.
I watch her as she watches me, and I think we both make the decision at the same time. We know how this night ends.
Tears mark her pretty face, and I wish I could say that I’m able to keep mine dry, but that would be a lie. Our first kiss of the night is tainted with the salt of both of our tears as our lips meet, but it’s not a hurried meeting of our mouths.
There’s no rush. She’s not making it to work tonight, and we both know it.