Page 233 of The Bluffing Game

Chapter 27

SAGE

I lie in bed, and I can’t stop thinking about Dalton—where he is, what he’s doing. If he and Toby’s mom have decided to get back together, if they want to create a real family for Toby, which I would understand. I truly would. Family is the most important thing in the world, and a kid deserves to have a mom and a dad, especially one as cute as Toby.

I roll over in the bed and close my eyes. I need to think about something else, anything else. I decide to grab my phone and start scrolling. I see that I’ve got a text message from an unknown number, and I frown.

You can’t get rid of me that easily, the text reads, and my heart thuds.

I have a feeling it’s Parker. I hate that he keeps texting me from all these new numbers, and even though I keep blocking him, he keeps finding new ways to contact me. I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to tell Dalton. I don’t want him to think he has to be my protector, but I don’t want him to think I can’t take care of myself—because I really can.

You need to leave me alone, I text back.

My phone starts ringing, and I startle as I think it’s Parker, but I smile when I see it’s Dalton.

“Hi. You’re up late,” I say as my eyes clock that it’s one a.m.

“Hey. I hope I didn’t wake you up,” he says. “I just got home.”

“Everything okay?” I don’t really know what to say. I don’t want to pry, and I’m not going to ask him again. I’m not going to ask him or beg him to tell me what’s going on with Toby’s mom.

“What are you doing right now?”

“You’re not trying to have phone sex with me, are you?”

“No. Really, Sage?”

“I’m just saying, you asked me what I’m doing, and when someone calls you at this time in the morning, it usually means …”

“No. I was wondering if I could see you.”

“Now? You mean, like FaceTime?”

“I was wondering if I could come over.”

“Oh.” I look at the time, and then I think about the fact that Izzy and Rosie are in bed. “I don’t know. Izzy and Rosie are here, and I don’t really want to disturb them.”

“You can come over here,” he says.

“But aren’t Toby and Lucia there?”

“They’re sleeping.”

“Yeah, but what if they wake up? I don’t want Toby seeing me in the bed.”

“And what if I come and pick you up?” he says. “We can go for a walk on the beach and look at the moon.”

“What? Look at the moon? For fun?”

“Don’t you like walks on the beach under the moonlight?” he says, teasing me.

“I do.” But how could he possibly have known that? We’ve never talked about it. My heart pounds for a second, but I don’t say anything. “I can be ready in ten minutes if you want to come and get me.”

“Okay, great. I’ll be there in ten seconds.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry. I’m actually downstairs already. I was thinking about you, and I was hoping you’d pick up and I could see you.” He sighs. “It’s been a long night. Can you just come downstairs? I need to hold you and touch you and feel you next to me.”