“Youthink?”
“I kinda thought I saw you tonight. Watching me.”
“I’m not. I haven’t.”
“It’s okay. I kinda…” Her voice trails off to nothing.
“Kind of what?” I swallow hard.
“It made me feel a little better. The idea that you cared.”
“I do care. I can be there in five minutes?—”
“No. Maybe. Crap. No!” she repeats with a gorgeous little laugh. “I don’t want you here. But, it’s nice to hear your voice.”
“It’s nice to hear yours too,” I say. “I really am sorry.”
“For what?” she asks idly.
“That I upset you, before, when I followed you. I didn’t consider it stalking. But it was wrong of me. I’m sorry if I scared you.”
“I know you are.” She’s quiet, her breathing growing more even.
“I caved to my baser Mothman instincts. I shouldn’t have let them win.”
She takes a deep breath, so I continue.
“I just wanted to know more about you. To know who you were and what you were doing. To know everything about you. But, I haven’t followed you anywhere since you told me to stop after our first weekend together.”
“Never?” she sounds incredulous. “Not even once?”
“No. Of course not.”
“Huh.” She laughs. “I guess I’m not used to men respecting my boundaries.”
“I’m sorry for that too, Piper.” I pause so I can listen to her gentle breathing. She sounds much calmer now. “Do you feel better? Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“Will you just—” Her voice is strained. “Will you talk to me for a little while?”
“Of course. What do you want me to say?”
“What have you been doing lately?” The noise on the other end of the phone is like her rolling over.
“I’ve kept myself busy with work. And my sister’s family.” Anything that distracts me from thinking about her. “The mothlings are heading back to Canada next week. Sacha and Bailey invited me to their wedding, but I don’t know if I’m going to go.”
“What?” she asks. “Why not?”
“It’s going to be loud and crowded,” I say. “I’m not sure they even want me there.”
“Of course they want you there.”
“I just don’t know if I’ll be comfortable.”
“You’re going to regret it if you don’t go. You should go, take a date.”
“Who would I take?” It’s a stupid question. I’m not going to take anyone but her. “No one would want to go with me.”
I hear her shifting on the other end of the phone until a string of questions comes out of her in a rush. “You haven’t been dating anyone else? You don’t haveanyoneto take?”
