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Chapter Twenty-Six
If I had thought I was indecisive and lost when Logan left us, sitting in a hotel room in Queens wondering what the hell I should do next felt ten times worse.
I eyed the two suitcases we'd brought up from the car: mine was "designer smart," and had been a gift from the guys at work when I'd left my high-powered financial position shortly after my marriage had failed; Colby's was a green camouflaged print, and perfect for a boy.
No wonder I had been reluctant to pack mine; my insecurities had told me not to tempt fate as I waited for Sawyer's return call. Inhaling deeply, I flicked through all the usual places he could get in touch with me and saw a message from someone named Scott Jon Lindsay in my 'message request' inbox on Facebook. The message read:
Hey, this is Hammer. Sawyer's been trying to call you, but he lost his cell phone and couldn't remember any of his log-ins. We're in the city dealing with something right now. He wants to know if you can call him on this number.
Anxiety and relief clashed in equal measure as I stared at the number he had sent me and with shaky hands and a racing heart I immediately rang it back.
"Yo," the gruff low voice bellowed down the line.
"Erm, Hammer?" I asked, feeling stupid using a nickname now that I knew his real one.
"Yeah?"
"It's Billie," I offered.
"Hey. Hang on," he said, "Saw, it's your chick," he shouted, and I heard hurried footsteps come nearer to him.
"Damn. Hey, Billie," he said, sounding breathless and relieved.
"What's going on? You had me worried half to death," I blurted, half-desperate to know we were okay but mostly relieved and thankful he hadn't ditched me after the Logan fiasco with the text.
"More drama with Wiggy. It's a fucking mess. I had to cut out of the family celebrations to deal with this fuckwit. We've just finished checking him into a rehab facility. I'm sorry I didn't call you back, but I lost my phone. I've been calling it, but it must be on silent or dead somewhere."
"It's at Strings' place," I told him, wondering how the girl had answered me if she hadn't heard the call. "Some girl had it … Monica?"
"Thank God. That's Strings' sister. I'll grab it back from her at my parents' place tomorrow. They're coming over. I knew the forecast said snow, but it's been relentless here. Will you still be able to make it?"
My chest tightened to learn his band members were also attending the party. This was something I hadn't considered. As if my nerves weren't already shot to hell thinking about meeting his family. As horrible as I should have felt that Wiggy was in a drug rehabilitation center, I breathed a little easier for the guarantee that he, at least, wouldn't be there.
I took a calming breath, my body still in a mixed state of shock and relief to know Sawyer and I were okay. "I'm at a hotel in Queens. I got worried Colby wouldn't make his flight, so I drove us into the city this evening and arrived around 9.00 p.m. Sawyer, I've been going out of my mind since I called you this morning."
A short agonizing pause passed between us before he blew out a breath. "Yeah, about that. What a shitbag he is. To be honest, I was pissed off about that. I knew the moment you blew me off you were lying, but I couldn't figure out why."
"I swear, I didn't invite him. I'd never suspected he'd do what he did, but he put me in an impossible position when you called. I was about to tell you when he came downstairs from putting Colby to bed, but he sat directly in front of me and I didn't want to talk about him while he stared at me."
"I knew if he was there it wouldn't have been at your doing, Billie, but I was so fucking frustrated with his stunt with the text, I didn't trust myself to talk to you."
"He'd had far too much to drink or I'd have sent him home," I explained.
"Promise me you'll never lie to me like that again. If he's with you, I want to know. He made me so furious that I knew I was in danger of taking what he did out on you. That's why I cut the call. Too little sleep makes me cranky anyway, even without that sad bastard winding me up like an overwound clock."
"I'm sorry." My apology was heartfelt and didn't sound like enough, given what Logan had done, but if he had intended to warn Sawyer off, all it did was confirm how Sawyer felt about me.
"What I don't understand is why you didn't leave him sooner."
"Honestly? There were a few times I felt trapped, but I had nowhere else to go," I replied, thinking back on a couple of low points in our marriage.
Sensing my hurt, he changed the subject. "Anyway, let's not allow him into our heads going forward. I can't wait to see you. It's only been days, but it's felt like weeks this time." I smiled at how easily he could discard the situation and not allow it to fester within him.
"I'm here at the hotel until morning. What should I do after I've taken Colby to the airport?"
"Since you have your car, I'll arrange a car to drop us both at the airport. You can meet us and we'll take your car to The Hamptons.
"Hammer wasn't at the party?"
