Page 178 of Play of Love
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He wasn't there when I woke the next day. Lucy said he went into town from early.
When twelve came, and he still wasn't back I started to worry and decided to call him. I'd never called him before and felt unnerved when the phone went straight to voicemail.
I thought about him for hours last night, and I couldn't get what he said out of my mind.
He told me he liked me, twice. As if he wanted me to have confirmation. Maybe he'd left because I'd offended him and he'd gone out to blow off some steam. I tried to recall what I'd said to him, and my reaction. Maybe I freaked out too much and ... well, I couldn't help my natural reaction. He was after all Gage. How else was I supposed to react after kissing him?
I was still freaked out, and for all I knew he...
I sighed as the thought irritated me. For all, I knew he could be with Giselle. That was entirely possible. Again it was Gage, and that was how he was. If one woman turned him down, he'd just move on to the next available one. But I didn't exactly turn him down.
Sure I said no, but I didn't mean no as inno. Realistically I didn't know what I meant, but wouldn't fool myself into denying that I did like him. I may have experienced a gamut of perplexing emotions that confused my poor brain, but I knew I liked him. I liked him a lot, and that could be quite a problem for me.
"Are you okay dear?" Lucy asked coming up behind me in the kitchen.
"I'm fine," I lied. Truthfully I was thoroughly annoyed at myself for letting my guard down.
"You don't look fine." Lucy looked concerned. "It's the situation isn't it."
Which one? There was so much going on.
No… I knew what she meant. "No. It's not. I'm okay honest. I guess I'm just a little tired."
That part was the truth. I'd been up late doing witchcraft - of all the things - then I kissed Gage and was suffering all manner of consequences now.
"Have you spoken to your mom?"
"Practically every night. I don't know if I should be worried that she was happy to reschedule our plans." I smiled. My mother was a nurse and loved her job just a little too much. A little like the way I loved mine. "She said a new boy just got transferred on to her ward and she wanted to be there when her went in for surgery."
My mother worked on the children's ward, with the children who had life-threatening illnesses like cancer. The boy my mother referred to had leukemia and was going in for a bone marrow transplant.
"Your mother's an angel."
I nodded. "Yes, that she absolutely is."
"I'm sorry I took you away from your family. I know you don't see us much and I'm very grateful that you're here. Lord knows what would have happened if I'd managed to get here myself. I would be so lost." Lucy clasped her hands together.
"I'm happy to be here and help in whatever way I can. Besides, being here has made me realize that I need to have more time for things that matter. Music matters, but it shouldn't take over my life."
Lucy nodded at that. "I'm glad you realize that dear, nothing is truer.
“Sometimes I look back, and I wished I would have spent more time with my family. I was always just so busy playing and teaching."
"Well, I've decided that when we get back, I'm totally going to take whatever holiday I'm entitled to. Maybe we could go to the Caribbean?" I beamed. I was trying to cheer her up.
"Evie, what would you be doing with little old me in the Caribbean?" I laughed.
"It'll be fun you have to come."
"Okay. I'll come." Lucy continued to laugh. "Should we start dinner?"
Dinner.Was it that time already? I looked at the antique clock on the
wall. It was nearly four.
We usually had dinner around five. I guessed wherever Gage was he was having a good time.
