Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 64527 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 323(@200wpm)___ 258(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64527 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 323(@200wpm)___ 258(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
She didn’t look up.
“I’m not trying to be controlling,” I said, twisting my hands, “and I’m so sorry if it’s coming off that way. But I’ve just… I’ve seen some bad shit, Macy. And it often comes when people don’t take the danger that they’re in seriously.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, so quietly I barely heard her.
I thought that I must’ve imagined it.
She leaned back and stared up at the ceiling, wrapping her arms around herself. “I know I need to be smart and careful. And I am grateful to you for helping to keep me safe. But I just wanted a shred of normalcy, even for an hour. I thought I could have that here.”
The forlorn tone made my heart ache, and I put my hand on her knee to comfort her without overthinking. She’d apologized, as unlikely as that had seemed. It wasn’t her fault at all to want to feel a sense of normalcy and safety. I could give a little back to her in exchange.
“We’ll find some normal. I promise.”
12
MACY
I had to be honest with myself. Every time I saw Dillon, I thought of what we’d done the night before and the way that it’d felt with him inside of me. Neither of us brought it up, but I could tell that he was still thinking of it too. He tried not to show it, but the way that he moved had subtly changed so that he seemed to be more comfortable around me.
As he stood at the stove making lunch, the understanding that we’d reached after our little argument made me think that I could possibly ask him for the favor I was angling toward.
“Dillon,” I said, going to stand across the island from him as he flipped the tuna melts.
He flicked up his eyebrows at me, the corners of his eyes crinkling in that strange half smile he gave when he didn’t want anyone to see that he was happy about something. “Yeah?”
“I haven’t called my mom since I came to stay with you, and I was talking to her every day. Since you destroyed my phone, she doesn’t have a way to reach me and must be really worried.” I looked down at the granite surface of the island, tracing the dot pattern in the stone with my finger. “Is there a way—”
He set down the spatula, turned off the stove, and turned toward me, settling his hand on my arm. The warmth that flooded through me at the touch surprised me, and I found my hand inching forward to cover his hand. “Why don’t I go to town after lunch to get you a new burner? But—” The look he turned on me was hard but compassionate. “—we’re going to have to get rid of it as soon as you use it, in case someone is monitoring your mom’s phone records for Alex.”
I nodded, swallowing past the lump in my throat. “Is there a number I can give her in case she needs to reach me?”
He bit down on his lip. “Let me think on it. I’m sure there’s something.”
The fact that he was being so much more reasonable than before was reassuring, and we had a really pleasant lunch where we chatted about all manner of things. He told me a little more about becoming a cop, and I told him a few stories about art school. After, he’d gotten in his truck and headed down the hill to town, leaving me with Bucky.
I couldn’t help pacing back and forth as I waited for him to get back with the new phone. When I saw him pull up to the front of the house, I flew out of the front door, barely waiting for Bucky to catch up with me before I slammed the door shut behind me. I jumped into the passenger seat of his truck, not waiting for him to get out and come inside.
He chuckled and handed me a basic burner phone, then put the truck into drive and headed for the trail entrance, where there was just enough service for me to get a call out. He pulled the truck over, and we got out, him stepping a few feet away to throw the ball for Bucky while I dialed my mom’s phone number.
“Hello?”
Her voice was anxious, almost frantic. It made me feel even more guilty for not having talked to her over the last week.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Oh my God, Macy!” The words got caught in her throat, and I could hear the tears start flowing as she took her next shuddering breath.
“Please don’t, Mom. I’m okay.” I turned away from Dillon so he couldn’t see the tears that had formed in my eyes at my mom’s reaction.
“I’ve been so worried about you, sweetie. You weren’t answering your phone, and I thought that something might’ve happened to you. I was about to fly out there if I didn’t get word from you soon.”