Page 99

“We ran into Grant.”

Sumner goes quiet.

“He was an asshole as usual. Then he grabbed my arm for a second, but we handled it.”

Ellie gives me a look that says handled it is underselling her contribution, but I can’t even smile.

“What did he do?” Sumner asks. I’ve never heard his voice like this, with an edge of violence to it.

“It’s not about what he did.” My voice cracks again, and I wipe at my face with the back of my hand. “Something else happened, and I need to tell you, but I can’t—I don’t want to do this over the phone.”

There’s no hesitation. “Okay.”

I suck in a shaky breath.

“Can you come home?”

“Yeah, of course.”

My eyes close.

“Have Ellie take you home, and I’ll get there as soon as I can.”

Another tear slips down my cheek. “Okay.”

“Goldie.”

“Yeah?”

His voice is quieter when he says, “Whatever happened, we’ll deal with it when I get there. I’m not going anywhere, remember?”

That nearly starts me crying all over again. “Okay. I remember.”

“I’ll see you soon.”

The call ends, and I lower the phone into my lap.

Ellie waits a second before asking, “Home?”

I nod and wipe under my eyes.

“Home.”

CHAPTER 28

SUMNER

The call ends, and I shove my phone into my pocket as I cross Colston’s living room toward the door.

He turned down the volume on the Rays game when I picked up the phone. Now he’s sitting forward on the couch with both forearms braced on his knees, watching me.

“What happened?”

I grab my wallet off the coffee table. “She ran into Grant.”

“Her douchebag ex?”

“Yeah.”