Page 73 of The Pass
“I’ve got to go back.”
“That a girl! Don’t let Tara, or anyone else, speak for Tanner. Keep me posted. I’m stopping at the next exit to eat and wait out the storm. Go get your man.”
I drop my phone and lean forward. “Allyson, I—”
“On it.” She pulls a sharp U-turn that sends me back against my seat. The rain has definitely picked up here and traffic is slow.
My phone buzzes next to me. Tanner’s name lights up my screen with a text,Babe, where are you?
He’s called a half-dozen times, but I needed to clear my head before I talked to him. Can I really tell him why I left? I don’t know what to do, but I can’t believe I was stupid enough to leave. Who’s the one avoiding conflict now? I don’t respond. I’ll know what to say when I see him. Or at least that’s my hope.
“Good luck,” Allyson says as she pulls up in front of the house.
“Thank you.” I hurry out of the car. A heavy sheet of rain makes it nearly impossible to see more than a foot in front of me. I navigate to the front door and shake off under the overhang. I’m positive I look a mess, but I’m back and I’m not leaving until Tanner knows exactly what he means to me.
I’m not sure what scene I expected to walk into, but Tara, Corinne, and Amelia sitting together in the living room was not it. Tara has the gall to look surprised I’m back.
I bypass them completely and hurry to the bedroom.
“Where is Tanner?” I ask as I backtrack to the living room. I’m dripping on the floor and the blast of air conditioning makes me shiver.
“He went after you,” Tara says dryly.
“After me where?”
“We thought you went back to Valley,” Corinne says.
I groan at my own stupidity for sending him on a freaking rat race and pull out my phone. The last time he called, Tanner left a message. I listen as I turn my back to the girls.
“Babe, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what all Tara said to you, but she was wrong. Everyone’s wrong. Amelia and I are over. I’ve been thinking over the past few weeks how no one really understands us. When we were friends, people wanted us to be more, and when we finally gave in, that seemed to confuse people too. It doesn’t confuse me. You’re not one thing. You’re everything. You’re my best friend and you’re my girlfriend. You’re the only person who really sees me for exactly who I am.” There’s a pause and then he adds, “Call me back.”
Tears blur my vision and I laugh out of relief and happiness as I fumble to call him back. He put something to words I’ve never been able to. We’ve never fit into a tidy category and we never will because we’re so much more than that.
He answers on the first ring. “Hey, where are you?”
“I’m at the house. I didn’t go back to Valley. I’m here.” The lights flicker.
“Thank god you’re safe. Stay there. Tell everyone to stay put. It’s getting really nasty out here. My phone is about to die, and I don’t have my charger, but I’m headed back.”
“Okay, I’ll tell them.”
So many things that I want to say, but his tone is distracted and serious as he navigates the storm. “Be careful. I’ll see you when you get here.”
“Yep, I will. See you soon.”
“Bye.” I keep the phone to my ear as I face the three other women in the house. The lights flicker again and then stay off. While it’s cloudy outside, there’s enough light coming in through the windows that I can still see their questioning stares. “He’s on his way back, and he said we should all stay put because of the crappy driving conditions.”
Corinne gets up and tries flipping the light switch a few times before she says, “Looks like the power is out.”
“I’m sure it’ll be back soon,” Tara says. “I’m going to paint my nails.”
Corinne follows Tara, leaving me and Amelia alone.
“I’m just waiting for the storm to pass and then I’m going,” Amelia says, looking as pumped as I am about being trapped together. “I’m sorry that I showed up unannounced. I didn’t know you were here. Though I should have.”
Amelia and I have always gotten along, but we’re not exactly friends. When she was dating Tanner, I went out of my way to make her feel comfortable, but I never really felt like she believed I wasn’t out to steal her man.
I realize it probably seems like that’s exactly what I did, given how things turned out.
