Chapter 47 #4
I can picture him pouting in disbelief, eyebrows furrowed as he concentrates on the call, listening for the smallest tell-tale in my voice. What I would give to see him right now, but with the threat of potential trespassers harboring lethal intentions, my ass is most likely grounded until tomorrow.
"I'm fine, baby. I just wanted to hear your voice."
He makes a sound of disbelief. "The last time you did that, you weren't really all right. I can tell, you know."
"Are you home with your parents? Have you eaten anything?" I ask, changing the subject. Where he's concerned, I'm weak as hell. If we dwell on my problems and his ability to sniff out how not all right I am, I might just jump the border fence myself and high tail it to his house.
Jace hums quietly, aware that I've deliberately changed the subject, but he doesn't push back. Instead, he enlightens with, "Yeah, we're home. Mom made pizzas for dinner. I had a few slices and now I'm getting ready for bed."
"Good. Can you tell me something?"
"Of course."
"Are there any police cars patrolling your area?"
There's shuffling on the other side. "Sky, what's wrong? Did something happen?"
"Not really. So?"
"Avoiding my question again? Okay, I'll bite." There's a smile in his voice and for a moment, it feels like we're back to being ourselves. "I mean, last I checked, a cruiser was parked outside of my house."
Another deep breath swooshes out of me. I don't know if I'll be able to make it through the night without going to him. I'd give anything to have him in my arms again if only for five minutes to hold and hug and kiss him, and to check him over to make sure he's doing as well as he claims.
"Are you sure everything's good? There isn't anything I should know?"
I can't help but smile at how effortlessly he can make me melt. At this point, it's got less to do with the bond dragging us closer and closer but more to do with us trying our best to make it work.
"Do you really want to know?"
"Please."
Wiping a hand across my face, my mind races back to Friday afternoon in the infirmary, the fight in the parking lot, and all the bullshit that followed because of it.
Blake and his undying need to get his ass kicked is something that's been sitting on the backburner since I left the gym.
While the threat he poses to Jace is real enough, and I'm as serious as a heart attack about creating a space where there is no stress for my mate, it doesn't bother me as much as what happened between Jace and me.
Those horrible words I spewed in a heated moment and then how I left him after dropping him off at his place. I hadn't said goodbye. I hadn't told him I'd call or text or check in with him, yet here I am, calling from Dale's phone – a number he doesn't even have.
I'm both lucky and glad he picked up at all and I'm hoping he doesn't think I called from a different number to get him to answer. I know he's angry with me and hurt over what happened even if he'll say he's not.
I know him very well.
He'll lie to not feel like a burden to me.
"About Friday –"
"Oh, that," he cuts in. He sighs heavily. "Would it make me a bad person if I didn't want to talk about it? I'm exhausted, Sky. Can we talk another time?"
"You're still angry."
"I'm not," he denies too quickly.
"You don't have to lie, baby. I fucked up."
"Well, if you fucked up, then so did I. I should have told you about Sasha sooner."
"What do you mean?"
There's some more shuffling around. Sheets move and slide, pillows are shifted and thrown. And finally, "The night you came over, I'd broken up with her that morning. I'm so sorry. I should've told you." The apology and remorse are sincere. All it does is intensify the urge to be with him.
"Probably," I admit. "But I could have given you the chance to defend yourself."
The line goes silent and it stays that way for close to a minute.
I don't bother with calling out to him, trying to rope him back into conversation when I feel everything he's feeling.
If my guess is correct since it's similar to what I felt that night of the storm when I made him pancakes from scratch, he just fell in love with me all over again.
"Are you going to school tomorrow?" he asks, hopeful, a new kind of energy fueling his words.
"I'm not sure. There's not a lot to do."
"What about after school? Are you busy then?"
"I can swing by if you want."
We don't stay on the call for much longer. Jace's yawn brings an abrupt halt to the conversation a few seconds after I promise to stop by tomorrow afternoon, almost as if it's what he's been waiting for to finally get some shut eye.
Stepping out from behind the tree, Dale is still seated on the grass mindlessly tracking guards who are patrolling the compound. He inclines his head to two pack mates our age who are in training to become warriors as they jog by.
"Safe?" he asks as I return his phone.
"Getting ready for bed," I confirm.
Dale laughs. "Told you. He'll be fine. He has no idea, but he's got an entire pack ready to protect him if the need arises."
Dale means well but truly, I hope it never comes to that.