Page 57 of Big & Bossy
“Hi, sweetie,” she cooed. I could hear her loudly cutting vegetables in the background, way louder than usual. She has me on speaker. “I haven’t heard from you in a bit. How are you doing?”
I glanced at the divider. “I’m doing okay,” I sighed.
“That doesn’t sound very convincing. What’s going on? Is it Jack?”
“Yeah, I guess,” I said quietly, settling into the leather seat. “It’s a bit complicated, Mom.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” She asked, her voice going soft as she put down the knife.
“I don’t have enough time to unpack it all,” I chuckled. “I don’t know. Feelings are there. I don’t think they ever left. And then on top of it, we’re falling out of the news cycle, so our fake engagement will probably end soon and we’re about halfway done with the campus, so I guess… I don’t know. I’m preparing myself for the inevitable.”
“Oh, honey.”
“I told him I still loved him.”
Silence overtook the line for a moment before she breathed out. “Did he say it back?”
“Yeah,” I croaked, that same quiver in my lip making a reappearance. “He did. It’s never been like that with anyone but him, Mom. I don’t know how to handle it. I don’t know what to do. I don’t want it to end but I feel like it’s going to have to.”
“Oh, sweetie, I’m sorry. That’s so tough. You went to his sister's wedding, though, right? I saw some of the photos online. Surely he wouldn’t want to break it off if he included you in the family photos.”
I sniffled as I sank further into the leather, hoping that Steve couldn’t hear. “But I don’t know if that was for publicity or not. It’s all so confusing. We spent most of the reception outside just watching the sunset and talking about where we’d be if he hadn’t disappeared on me ten years ago. That was enough to make me want to cry.”
“You should talk to him about it, Mandy. Get your answers. Don’t overcomplicate things by putting it all on him and getting yourself twisted up over it, okay?”
I nodded before realizing she couldn’t see that through a telephone call. “Yeah,” I sniffled.
A knock came on the divider before it lowered down enough so Steve could peek at me through the rearview mirror. “We’ve arrived, Ms. Littleson. Time to board.”
“I’ve got to go, Mom. I’ll call you later.”
Steve opened up my door and helped me get my bag from the car. Jackson’s plane sat on the tarmac before me, the pilot and copilot standing by the steps leading inside. One of them grabbed my bag from Steve and carried it into the cabin. Jack must already be inside.
“Thanks, Steve,” I called over my shoulder as I walked up the steps, one pilot behind me and one in front. Aside from the humming engine, it was silent, and as I entered the body of the plane, Jack was nowhere to be found.
I whipped around in an instant.
“Where’s Jack?” I demanded, catching the door to the cockpit before they could close it behind them.
“He’ll be joining you in a few hours. We’ve been given the go-ahead to get you out to New York.”
What?
Uneasiness bloomed in my gut. I let the door close as I pulled out my phone, finding his name in an instant. Still Jackson Pig. Four rings, voicemail. Again. Four rings, voicemail. He never avoided my calls.
Four rings, voicemail.
Four rings, voicemail.
I stared dumbfounded at the call log, blinking until I couldn’t help but flick it away. Was he even joining me at all? Did he stand me up?
The knot in the back of my throat felt more like a fucking log as I pulled up my texts and fired two off to Harry, shock and anger driving every movement of my thumbs against the too-bright screen.
Me: I think he’s stood me up.
Me: Maybe you were right.
Chapter 27
