“Oh, hi.” I smiled and waved.
“Where have you been? We waited for you every morning for a week.” The look across her face turned serious as her thin brows pulled up.
“I know. I, uh, I came down with an illness suddenly. So,” I swallowed and kept talking through my heavy breathing, “I couldn’t come. I hope you can forgive me.”
Her hand came down on my shoulder. “Oh, gosh. I’m so sorry to hear that.” Her hand left me.
Update me.
I couldn’t. I put all my effort into not letting my magic swirl down my bare skin. Think about Topine. Not Fletcher. He seemed to always draw that unpredictability out of me. Perhaps it was because hismagic spun somewhere in my body. No, I had to stop thinking about it. The woman. Focus on the woman.
“That’s okay.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“Not really. I feel much better now. Taking up running, actually.”
Her brows lifted with a smile. “Oh. Good for you. I’ve always hated running.” By the way her shoulder suddenly squared to me, I thought maybe she was about to start a whole conversation. “Anyway, it was good seeing you!”
“You too.” I waved again and flashed a smile, twisting to continue away from her.
Just as I turned my head to scan the crowd again, she tapped my shoulder to gain my attention.
“The other girls are going to be so sad when they hear of your illness.”
I smiled. “Yeah, well—”
Ripley. Tell me you’re okay.
“—I miss them. I hope they’re doing okay.”
“They are! Amy says she misses you watching her kids. In fact, the entire city does—”
If I leave this meeting to come find you, I’ll be in a lot of trouble. I’ll give you two minutes to talk to me.
Lightning bolts zapped up and down my back with anxiety. “I’m sorry, I really have to go.”
“To run, right? I mean, how’d you even get into running from yoga? They couldn’t be more different—”
“Bye,” I interrupted and turned to race off into the heart of downtown, looking for a bathroom.
I hurried into one and locked myself in a stall, wrapping my arms in the bottom of Fletcher’s shirt to block the light of my magic.I’m fine. I can’t talk. I have short-sleeves on.
He didn’t answer. Had it gotten to him? Fuck, had it gone to someone else?
Did you hear me?
Heard.
The way it ran in my head made it feel like he was distracted and needed to focus. I rushed out of the stall and almost trampled Topine.
She laughed and took a step back, resting her bottom on one of the sinks. “This place is boring,” she huffed as she made a disappointed face.
“Great. Can we go back now?”
She sighed. “I guess.”
I grabbed her hand, linking my fingers between hers so that if she were to teleport elsewhere, she’d be forced to take me with her. “Take us back.”
