Page 46 of City of the Lost
“I love you too, Wila.”
* * *
The midday sunstreamed in through my bedroom window, lighting up my pink haven. I’d slept in. No point getting up early if I was housebound for the day, but contracts still needed to be signed for Loraine Vincent. I’d dropped Tay and Mack a text late last night to let them know I was okay and had gotten a thumbs up in reply from Mack but nothing from Tay. I dialed Tay now and got his voice mail. Strange, he always had his phone charged and switched on, unless he was in Slumber. Mack was next, and he picked up on the third ring.
“Wila Bomb, good to hear your voice. We were worried about you,” Mack said down the phone.
“Did you get my text?”
“Yeah, bit thin on the info, though.”
I filled him in on the interrogation. “And so, I need you guys to sign these contracts. Can you come over and do it today? I can’t leave the house till this evening when the sting operation is going down.”
He chuckled, but it sounded strained. “Sure, yeah. No problem. I’m holding down the fort here at the moment, but as soon as Tay gets back I’ll pop over and grab the contracts.”
Unease tickled the back of my neck. “Tay’s out? Warehouse run?”
Mack cleared his throat. “Not exactly.”
“Um, okay. Where is he?” It was none of my business, but for some reason my gut urged me to push for the information.
Mack was silent for a long beat; the sounds of the bar, the clink of glasses, soft laughter, and music drifted down the line.
“Mack?”
“He’s out with Tonya, Wila. On a date.”
It was as if someone had grabbed my insides and twisted them into an intricate knot. My breath rushed out in a gasp.
“Wila? You okay?”
“Fine. I’m fine.” Damn the squeaky voice. “Yeah. Just come over and pick them up whenever. Just ... it has to be today, ‘kay?”
“Sure ... Wila, you know this is for the best, right?”
“’Course I do. He deserves to be happy.” A fissure was opening in my black heart. “I’ll see you later.” My treacherous voice cracked, and I ended the call and stared at the ceiling.
A weight settled on my chest, crushing and forcing hot tears up my throat and into the back of my nose. They pressed at the back of my closed eyelids.
No. No, no, no. This was good. Tay was moving on. He was doing exactly what I’d asked of him. This was how it should be, and then we could go back to being friends. Then why did I feel like hunting Tonya down and tearing out her hair? Urgh.
I rolled onto my front and buried my face in my pillow. Can’t have it all, Bastion. The words were a lie the voice had forced me to acknowledge, because Icouldhave it all. I just needed to say the word and Tay would drop Tonya and the knell and be with me. No strings attached, if that’s what I wanted. But there was another revelation, another truth that there was no hiding from any longer. The truth that therewerestrings, so many strings that had somehow become connected to Azren and Valance and Tay, and I wasn’t sure I had the power to cut them.
* * *
Trevor foundme in the kitchen with my hand in the cereal box.
“Ooo, no-bowl cereal eating,” he said. “This is bad.”
I finished my mouthful. “Tay’s on a date.”
Trev jumped up onto his seat. “Isn’t that what you wanted?” He side-eyed me, and if a dog could purse its lips, he’d be pursing away. “You want him, you’re going to have to put yourself out there. Contrary to popular belief, guys don’t carry around crystal balls.” He sniffed. “Glad to see you’ve stopped making eyes at Azren, though. Now that one youshouldsteer clear of. He’s on a lead, and the hand holding it is attached to a head that could bite your pretty face off.”
He was old-fashioned, Trev. Into love, marriage, and commitment. Trying to explain the tumult of emotions churning in my chest would be like trying to dissect a hurricane.
“Where is Azren?”
“Do I look like his keeper?” Trevor opened his paper and began to read.
