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The meal was delicious, she wasn’t wrong about that. I couldn’t help but devour it as soon as it arrived. The afternoon has been pleasant yet I can’t seem to recall half of what we have talked about. My mouth is a little dry, from all the talking I’ve done no doubt, but goodness knows what a lot of it was.
Whether it is the revelation from earlier, jet lag, or just the last few days catching up with me, I’m unsure, but a wave of tiredness has hit me and I find myself ordering a coffee to try and perk up. While Natalya explains how she got into modeling, a young waiter trips over a chair leg and spills water on my lap, startling me. Jumping up, I find myself snapping at the poor guy, which is so unlike me. It’s bizarre, almost like I’m watching it happen from afar, and not in the midst of the scene itself. Before I can apologize, he’s already disappeared so I sheepishly sit back down, mortified at causing a scene.
“Are you okay, sweetie?” Natalya asks, reaching for my hand across the table. My palms are sweating and I’m so embarrassed.
“I’m not feeling too good,” I admit, pulling my hand back and putting my head in my hands to try to calm myself down. My head is starting to throb despite having kept myself hydrated.
“Probably too much sun, the heat can be a bit intense if you’re not used to it,” she offers, asking a passing waiter for another bottle of sparkling water. I excuse myself and head to the bathroom to splash some cool water on my face.
The cold liquid does little to ease my discomfort, the walk to the bathroom only serving to make me feel dizzy and nauseous. Slowly making my way back to Natalya, I say, “I’m sorry, I think I need to go lie down. Do you mind if we get the check?”
“Of course not, here, have some more water and I’ll go find someone to get it sorted,” she offers with a kind smile, patting me on the shoulder as she passes me.
Rummaging in my bag, I pull out some Advil and take a couple with the sparkling water. Hopefully that’ll kick in soon.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The heaviness in my chest leadens when I walk into our hotel suite. Before I even close the door, the stillness in the air tells me Rosie’s not here. Still, I go about checking every room and the terrace.
It’s late afternoon and our phone conversation is still clogging my lungs. I’ve had plenty of disagreements, but none have left me feeling this untethered from myself. Although I know it’s normal to have arguments in relationships, I can’t bear the way our call ended.
When I come up as empty as I knew I would, I call her. The phone rings out, augmenting the unease already plaguing me. Mexico City may be beautiful and vibrant, but it’s also fucking dangerous, especially to a girl like Rosie who’s lived all her life in a safe, trusting bubble.
Maybe I should’ve told her about my tryst with Natalya. Perhaps she would’ve understood why it’s best she keeps her distance from her. She would’ve come back and we could’ve enjoyed our evening. Instead, I have no idea where she is or what she’s doing. Every second that passes my insides twist tighter with worry.
“Pick up,” I chant into the phone through gritted teeth as I call her again.
Every trill of the line knots my stomach tighter. It’s going to get dark soon and she could be lost. It’s such an easy city to lose yourself in, and it’s not like she can speak the language. Maybe Natalya knows, but I can’t trust her. She was reckless enough to follow me out of a party she’s attending with her boyfriend. What else is she careless enough to do?
I call Rosie’s cell again only for it to ring out to voicemail. If she’s pissed enough at me to avoid my calls, maybe she’ll answer someone else’s. Dialing Maggie, I think through the conversation Rosie and I had. Sure, she was pissed, but she’s not the kind of person to act so petulantly.
“Maggie?” I start the instant she picks up.
“Who else?” Her reply is full of a teasing humor that only stokes my unease.
“I need a favor.” Before she can say anything, I add, “I need you to call Rosie.”
There’s a shift in her humor that I feel down the line. “Is everything okay?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean, you don’t know?”
“I mean I don’t know!” The tension inside me threatens to explode. “We had an argument, and she’s not back or picking up her cell. Can you just call her please? Make sure she’s okay?”
“Jesus, yeah, sure…umm, are you all right?” she asks softly, the concern in her voice causing my worry to ball in my throat.
“Fine. I’m fine. Just call her, please and let me know she’s okay.” I know she’s going to keep pressing on. Nipping the call, I thank her and end it.
The wait for her callback is excruciatingly long while the seconds go by in my head. Pacing until I can’t take it anymore and decide to be more proactive. The daylight is hued in a deep gold and there’s no way I can simply wait around.
I’m about to head out when my phone rings at the same time as there’s a commotion outside the door. Rather than answering the phone, I open the door.
The sight that greets me, freezes me to the spot. Decades of telling myself I’d never be in this position again suck me right back to every occasion I watch Mom stumble through our home. My blood runs hot and cold all at once as Natalya stumbles into the room with Rosie barely able to put one foot in front of the other.
“What?” she laughs wryly. I’m not sure whether she’s as intoxicated as Rosie, but she’s just as unsteady in her heels. “Are you just going to stand and watch?”
Maybe I should get the fuck out of here now, but the thought dies as quickly as it whispers when Rosie trips over her feet. My first instinct is to catch her, and the instant she’s in my arms, I hold her to my chest. Inhaling deeply, I wait for the sweet scent of whatever liquor she’s had to hit me, but all I get is the aroma of her shampoo with the light scent of sweat where she’s been in the sun.
