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Lacey: How about lunch tomorrow? I’ll call ya.
Me: Sounds good. Talk soon.
I pulled up Beck’s number and was about to send him a text when I suddenly hit the button to call him. When I realized what I’d done, I almost hung up. Instead, I started to chew on my thumbnail.
“Hello?”
I was so stunned by the female voice on the other end of the line that I stumbled back a few steps.
“Hello?”
“Yes, I’m sorry, I must have called the wrong number,” I said, in a voice that didn’t sound at all like mine.
“Are you looking for Beck?”
It felt like someone had punched me in my back as I struggled to find my breath. Finding air, I simply replied, “Yes.”
“He’s unavailable right now. Can I leave a message?”
Finally finding my voice, I asked, “Who is this?”
“This is Rachel, a friend of Beck’s. Who is this?”
I wanted to tell her that I was his girlfriend, but I wasn’t really sure what I was to Beck.
I heard another voice that sounded male, then Rachel said, “I answered it because it’s so late I thought it might be important.”
It sounded like the phone was being shuffled around.
“Avery? Is everything okay?”
I felt my legs give out, and thank goodness I was by my bed. I sat and said, “I’m sorry if I interrupted anything, it’s just…you said you’d call, and I hadn’t heard from you.”
He mumbled, “Fuck. I’m sorry I didn’t call. Once I got here and saw my grandfather, things sort of got crazy.”
I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. “Well, I’ll let you go.”
“Wait. Hold on a second.”
I heard footsteps, then a door opened and softly closed. “I’m so sorry I didn’t call you. I didn’t mean to make you worry.”
Swallowing the large lump in my throat, I replied, “It’s honestly fine. Now that I know you’re okay, I’ll let you go. Please keep me updated about your grandfather.”
“Avery, will you please wait a second?”
“It’s late, Beck, and I clearly interrupted something with…Rachel.”
“No, you didn’t. She picked me up at the airport, and I just left the hospital. She gave me a ride home.”
Lord, jealousy was an ugly, ugly thing. “She stayed with you this whole time at the hospital?”
“Her, and her mother and father. Her dad is good friends with my grandfather.”
I wanted desperately to ask why his ex felt the need to go with him to his place, but I stopped myself. Beck had never truly said anything about us being exclusive, but the way he’d kissed me before he left made me think he was trying to tell me something about how he felt about me.
“Oh. You never really told me much about her. Anyway. Listen, I’ll let you go.”
There was silence over the phone, and I could imagine him running his fingers through his hair. He did it a lot when he was frustrated, hurting, or confused.
“Are you going to bed right now? If not, I can call you back after Rachel leaves.”
That time I did let the jealousy bug win. “How long does she plan on staying there with you?”
He didn’t say anything, and my patience ran out.
“Listen, Beck, we didn’t promise each other anything, and you’re a grown man. Don’t worry about me. If you need the comfort of an…old friend…have at it. I wish your grandfather all the best with his healing.”
“Avery, don’t say things like that. I would hope that you would know me better than that.”
I closed my eyes and sighed. “I think I do know you better than that. It’s just hard to hear that your ex-girlfriend is with you at your house in the middle of the night, Beck. I’m sorry if that makes me sound childish or jealous or whatever. I didn’t mean to add stress to an already stressful situation. I’m sorry. I’m going to let you go.”
“Her being here means nothing, Avery.”
“Okay,” I said, sounding suddenly very tired. “I’ll talk to you later, Beck.”
“Avery.”
“Goodnight, Beck.”
He sighed. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”
Hitting End, I set my phone down on the table.
I pulled my legs up to my chest and dropped my forehead to my knees. “Oh my God,” I groaned. “Stop being jealous, Avery. Stop.”
Letting out a frustrated sigh, I got off my bed and headed to the kitchen, only to find my mother sitting at the island, about to put a huge bite of ice cream covered with chocolate syrup in her mouth. She took one look at me, stood, grabbed a bowl, and said, “Take mine. I’ll make another one.”
I slid into her vacated seat and took a bite, closing my eyes. “Mmm. So good,” I said with a mouthful of dessert.
After she made her bowl, she sat down and met my gaze. “Want to talk about it?”
Mixing the ice cream some, I took another bite. I let it melt in my mouth and set my spoon down. I rubbed my hands up and down my thighs and dropped my head back.
