“Distance makes the heart grow fonder,” she said, likely batting her eyes in the process.
“Or more lovesick.”
She released a breath loud enough for me to hear. “Okay, that’s enough. We need to go out, like right now.”
“Now?” I whined, glancing at the clock to check the time.
“It’s almost eight. I don’t feel like it.” Not to mention there was no reason for me to go out in the first place.
“You’re feeling sorry for yourself. Cassidy made me promise not to let you get like this.”
“She did? When?” I didn’t hear her say that.
“She called. Yeah. I gave her my number that night at Ferdinand’s. It was actually so she could call me once those keychains came in, but…” She trailed off Bridget always did like her flashy merchandise. Granted, I never thought they’d talk to each other on their own. “She knows you’re going to worry,” my sister said when I didn’t speak up. “And as your baby sister, it’s my job to look after you.”
I laughed at that. “I honestly don’t think I’ll make the best company,” I warned her, “but I am getting hungry. If you feel like dropping by, I’ll order us a pizza.”
“Give me fifteen and you’ve got yourself a deal.”
Going into work the following morning was a lot harder than I expected. Between my sister keeping me up until the dead of night and Cassidy not texting me until after I’d gone to bed, my stomach was a twist of nerves and anxiety. I knew it was because it was her first show since she went on break, one of which that sold out months in advance, but I had to wonder if this was going to be our new normal. Would our calls happen in tiny bursts, or would there come a time when she could actually sit down and talk for more than a few minutes at a time?
It shouldn’t have worried me as much as it did, but in the end, I couldn’t help it.
Opening up the shop, I went right for the front of the store, completely ignoring the staircase leading up to the tower. If I could avoid it, then maybe it would make my day go by a little faster.
That was the hope, anyway.
As soon as I unlocked the front doors and glanced at the wall of books, my heart sank. One book was missing from the wall, the same book I’d found tucked away on a shelf the day before. The same book Cassidy had been reading before she left.
I really should’ve put it back where it belonged. I honestly have no idea why I put it in the fantasy section when it clearly had a spot up front. Maybe it was because I wanted to keep it in the shop a while longer, not that anyone would look at the wall of books anyway.
Still, having it tucked away on a random shelf instead of on display meant it was less likely to get picked up.
Smiling, I rummaged in my pocket for the small note Cassidy had left for me. This was our journey, our heroes’
quest, and just like any other journey, it’d have its ups and downs. This was just a small dip in the road before things could improve. I was almost sure of it.
Feeling a little better than when I first walked in, I sorted through the bit of inventory I had yet to put away, then went back to check on any books that may have been dropped off the night before. A small box of books sat outside the back door, unnoticeable to even me when I first came in.
Studying the box, I frowned at the torn flap and the damp cardboard along the bottom edge. Thankfully, the books inside were unharmed, but whoever dropped them off clearly didn’t care about what happened to them at all. The books weren’t dropped off by mistake, and as I took the book in my arms, I thought back to the box Cassidy had left so many weeks ago.
It was hard to believe how far we’d come since then, moving from acquaintances to friends, and finally to something more. Something I couldn’t put into words.
My nights were restless when she wasn’t around, my heart sick with worry as I wondered where she was and if she missed me as much as I missed her. Granted, she had a lot of things to distract her, things that needed her attention way more than I did. Things like her audience, interacting with the fans, and tiptoeing around her manager.
I cringed at that. His first and only visit to the store left a bad taste in my mouth. I understood why Cassidy kept him around, but deep down, I didn’t trust him. I knew as soon as he opened his mouth that he didn’t approve of what she did, but if it didn’t bother her, then why did he care?
I wasn’t a danger to her. In fact, if anyone was the danger, it was him.
“Stop,” I scolded myself, gritting my teeth before my temper got the better of me.
God, I hated this. Her short phone calls, quick texts, and not seeing her warm smile. I would’ve done anything to see her beautiful face again, one not thrown around inside a video. No doubt a video had already gone up from the night before, and as much as I wanted to hear her sing and see she was okay, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
So I dove into my work, stocking what I didn’t need to stock and rotating the books on the front wall even though I hadn’t read a good one in months.
Once I was through, I finally headed up into the tower, stopping just inside the door when my foot grazed the side of a box.
“Strange. That wasn’t here before.”