Chewing savagely on the inside of my cheek, I go in search of my cell. I find it in my purse. It looks dead. What the hell? I shake it and curse at it. The battery can’t be empty. I charged it yesterday, before meeting Audrey for coffee.
Dammit. I plug it in again and watch as it lights up.
And then powers down again.
Oh no. I so don’t need this. As I move around so much, this is my one steady number where my parents and everyone can reach me. I check the port, check the socket and the plug, jiggle it, making sure it’s connected. The screen flashes on again, and I see a text from my mom.
Shit.
It’s about my Aunt Carolina. She’s at the hospital. She wasn’t feeling well, and she had some more analyses done. They’d have the results in a few days.
What to do? If Mom calls and my phone is dead, then… Then she’ll call Bella, or Audrey. She has their numbers. But perhaps I can give her Zane’s number, too. He’ll be back tomorrow, and if she calls, he’ll pass the phone to me.
Quickly, before my phone dies again, I send Mom his phone number and tell her to ask for me if she needs to talk, until I get my own phone fixed.
I barely manage to hit send before the phone dies again. Not even sure th
e text went through, I stare at my crappy phone.
Not a good start to this Sunday.
Suddenly I’m desperate to get out of the house. I’m not supposed to meet the guys at the park before noon, but I shower and dress quickly in a white sundress and sandals and head out. The sun warms my face and bare shoulders, the warmth slowly seeping deeper.
But I’m still cold.
I pass by Bella’s apartment, but nobody answers the doorbell. I wander the sleepy town and buy ice cream, because life without ice cream is plain sad, and I want to shake the sad off me.
Zane loves watching me lick popsicles. So I buy a chocolate cone instead. Doesn’t feel fair to eat a popsicle without him watching.
That’s it. I’m officially sick. Hooked. Smitten. Nuts about this boy.
Jesus.
‘Just call me Zane,’ I think I hear his teasing voice in my ears, and my body tightens down low just as my mouth tugs into a smile.
Yep. Officially in love.
***
The day drags. The picnic drags. Time drags. My cell is on, and I hope it stays on. I left it charging all morning. It says the time is four in the afternoon, and although the park is beautiful in the golden sunlight, the guys are talking about Dylan, and I want to go home. I cooked earlier, and I want to set up the table. Make it look nice for when he arrives.
I start when I realize what I mean by home is Zane’s apartment.
Get real, Dakota. You’ve only been staying with him, what, four days?
The next thought is even more absurd.
Home is where Zane is.
How crazy is that?
I get up and grab my purse. “Hey, guys, got to go.”
“Why so soon?” Tessa whines and makes a grab for me.
“Stay a bit longer,” Tyler agrees, his arms around Erin.
“Cut it out, guys.” Audrey gives me a shrewd glance from her perch on Asher’s lap. “Zane may be back by now, right?”