Page 104 of Trusting Tanner
“And I expect at least four text messages a day.”
Rolling her eyes, she laughed. “Fine. You’d better get going if you want to make it home without being stuck in traffic for days on end.”
“Yeah, okay.” He hugged her, holding her longer than necessary, but she didn’t complain. “I’m serious about the messages, though. I want to know you’re okay.”
“I’ll be fine.” She nudged him toward the door. “Now go.”
As soon as he left, Juliana closed and locked the door and then rested her head against it. She was officially alone now, and the silence of the apartment was deafening.
…
The ringing cell phone woke her. She yawned and blinked the sleep from her eyes. The apartment was dark, only a sliver of moonlight filtering in through the window. “Yeah?” she answered around another yawn.
“Hey. What’re you doing?”
“Xander?” She held the phone from her ear and checked the screen. Sure enough, it was him. It was also eleven thirty at night. “Why are you calling me?”
“I was bored. Wanted to see what you were up to.”
“Nothing really.” She stood and stretched, trying to rid her body of the groggy, half-asleep feeling.
“Oh. I’m back home for the Christmas break.”
Juliana froze midway to the kitchen, and her heart raced. She was suddenly very wide awake. Tanner had texted first thing that morning to let her know he was headed home. Then he gave her the option of asking him to stay, and he would. No questions asked. And while it had been tempting to take his offer, she wasn’t going to keep him away from his family. She took a deep breath. “Glad you made it home safely.”
“Thanks. Now it’s your turn. Get your ass on a plane and come to New York.”
She laughed incredulously. “Have you been drinking?”
“Nope.”
“Then what the fuck?” Juliana groaned. “Why would you even say that to me? You know what, never mind. I don’t want to know. I’m staying right here in my apartment, and I’ll be just fine doing it.”
“I’m sure you will.”
“Good.” Although the small voice in the back of her mind told her it couldn’t be so easy. Xander wasn’t an easy sort of guy. “So why don’t you cut the shit and tell me why you really called.”
“Okay, you got me. I do have an ulterior motive.”
Doesn’t everyone?She went to the kitchen and leaned against the island, drumming her fingernails on the countertop. “Well, what is it?”
He took a deep breath. “Ineedyou to come here for Christmas. It’s super important.”
She pushed off the island and paced in front of it. “Yeah, right.” This was nothing more than a ploy to try to get her and Tanner back together. She wasn’t falling for it.
“C’mon. Please?”
“Does Tanner know you’re begging me to come there?” She stopped pacing and gripped the edge of the counter for support, hoping the pain in her chest would ease quickly.
“No.”
She went to her room and flopped down on her bed, draping her arm over her face. “Me showing up at his parents’ house to spend Christmas with his family is going to accomplish what, exactly?”
“If things go as I hope—a lot.”
The hairs on the back of her neck stood on edge. “Okay, what’s going on? What aren’t you telling me?”
“Tanner’s a wreck. He locked himself in his room and hasn’t come out. Mom is freaking, wondering if he’s got some sort of terminal disease he’s too afraid to tell her about.” His laugh was strained.
