CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO SAWYER #3
My anger boils over, my frustration hits its tipping point, and before I know what I’m doing, I’m screaming at Jaz. “You had no right to send her any goddamn photos. You might be her best friend, but I’m her goddamn boyfriend.”
“Why are you getting so defensive? Screams guilty to me.”
“What the actual fuck?” I say as I turn away from her, too distraught to even deal with her bullshit right now. I fish my phone out of my pocket and dial Roarick’s number. The phone rings twice before he picks up.
“You know, I just found a smashed grape on the ground, and it oddly reminded me of you.”
“I need you to come pick me up, right now.”
“Huh?”
“Sully, he’s in the hospital. Jaz slashed my tires, and I need a ride. Please, just hurry.”
“Shit. Okay. Why did she slash your tires?”
“I’ll explain later, just get here.”
I hang up and turn back to Jaz, who’s still standing there, tapping her foot. I don’t bother talking to her. I move past her and head toward the residence while I shoot off a text to Fallon, who’s most likely driving.
I’m not even sure what happened to Sully—my stomach twists at the thought—and I’m almost positive I won’t find out from Jaz.
Sawyer: Fallon, just heard you’re headed to the hospital with Sully. Long story, but I won’t be there for two hours. I’m coming as quickly as I can. Whatever Jaz has said to you, ignore it. I love you.
Now let the waiting begin.
“Why are you still holding that shoe?”
“Huh?” I ask as I look down at the powder-blue shoe clutched in my hand.
“I mean, when I first picked you up and saw it, I figured maybe you were too distraught to talk about it, but it’s been a half hour, and you’re still holding on to it. Should I be worried?”
I stare down at my phone, waiting for any sort of signal that Sully and Fallon are okay, but it’s been radio silence. Which only means one thing—whatever photos Jaz sent must be pretty damning.
“Hello, earth to Sawyer. Are you going to talk to me, man?”
I slouch in the passenger seat and stare out the window as we head out of the mountains, coming closer to Palm Springs.
The hospital’s emergency room is the closest one to Canoodle, so I’m hoping this is where she’s headed.
I attempted to get more information from Jaz via text, but her response was a middle finger emoji followed by a knife emoji.
I’ve always felt like I’ve gotten along with Jaz.
We had a unique relationship where we pretended to not like each other, but Fallon even said she’s been an advocate for us getting together.
This lightning-fast switch has me wondering if I’ve been wrong this entire time.
“Dude, you need to talk to me.”
“I’m just trying not to fucking lose it right now,” I shoot back at him.
“I can see that, but it might help if you actually talk about it.”
“You want to talk about it?” I say aggressively. “Fine. Annalisa came to visit me.”
“Uh, say what?”
“Yeah, and because Sully was already having a bad day and Fallon was trying to calm him down, I didn’t want to make her more upset with Annalisa—so I pulled her into a cabin to see what the hell she wanted.”
“Oooh, that feels incriminating.”
“She told me she was sorry, did all this bullshit apologizing, and then gave me this shoe. This stupid fucking shoe.” I throw it to the floor of Roarick’s Jeep Rubicon.
“An odd parting gift, but I can see the desire for a full-circle moment.”
“And then, when we exited the cabin, Jaz was standing there with a murderous look on her face. Apparently, she saw us in the cabin and immediately thought the worst.”
“Oh shit, now there’s an unexpected twist. Usually, it’s the girlfriend who sees the boyfriend with the ex. But the best friend—that’s kind of a nice change.”
“Why the fuck are you joking about this?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, did you not call me to lighten the mood? I must have missed the memo.”
“What the fuck is actually wrong with you?” I ask.
“Dude, I’m trying to calm you down—usually this works.”
“Well, read the goddamn room—”
“Technically, we’re in a car.”
“I’m going to fucking punch you in the goddamn eye.”
He winces. “Yeah, that last one was pushing my luck. Okay, so Jaz finds out—what happens next?”
“She of course thought I was cheating, slashed my tires, and then told me Sully and Fallon were headed to the emergency room.”
“Ah, and then you called me, your knight in shining armor. Makes sense. Well, did you clear the air with Jaz?”
“I tried. But she doesn’t believe a goddamn word I said.”
“Really?” Roarick asks, his brow pinched now. “That doesn’t seem like her.”
“Are you sure about that? Because it almost feels like she’s had it out for me from the very beginning.”
Roarick shakes his head. “No, she’s told me a few times how she thinks you two are good for each other.”
“Then what the hell? She has photos, and she sent them to Fallon.”
“Seriously?” The disbelief in Roarick’s voice actually makes me feel better. “I mean, clearly nothing happened between you and Annalisa, right?”
“Of course not. Christ. As if I would ever want to do anything with her, especially when I have Fallon, who is light-years ahead of anything Annalisa could ever strive to be. I let her clear the air for her conscience, but that was it. I told her about Fallon, how I love her, and she completely accepted all of that. She was actually on her way to some retreat. She wasn’t here to win me back.
And of course Jaz wouldn’t let me explain any of that. ”
Instead of responding, Roarick just stares out the windshield, deep in thought. I join him, willing my phone to vibrate. Any news. Just anything so I can know that they’re okay.
But the longer we drive and the closer we get to the hospital, the more I realize that I very well might be fucked.