AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I’m manifesting it.
Right now! Harder than I’ve ever manifested before.
Please, for the love of God, pick up your phone!
I scowl and shake my head, muttering, “What the hell?” as I scroll to the next message, sent almost fifteen minutes later.
Okay, so the cat is totally and completely out of the bag about you and Gideon. The cat jumped out of the bag, discovered a love for drama, workshopped a play, found backers, booked a theater, and put on a Broadway show.
Adrian knows, Syd.
He found out in a way that was um…VERY upsetting for him and is going to be even more upsetting for you and Gideon. It would be upsetting for anyone, but especially for you because you’re such a private person. I mean, you’ve never even sent a sext, have you?
Ugh, his mother is a monster, Syd, For real. I can’t believe I ever thought she was nice and cool and had fabulous hair. I mean, her hair is still fabulous, but she’s insane. And cruel.
This wasn’t what anyone needed right now, least of all her son.
Anyway, that’s all I should say right now. This isn’t the kind of thing that should be explained in a text. Please, please, please call me as soon as you get this message. Before you call anyone else, okay? And don’t let Gideon check his phone! I’m pretty sure Adrian texted him, and I don’t want either of you to find out from Adrian. He’s not in a good head space right now. Apparently, Gigi cancelled the amnio and is engaged to the drummer she cheated with in June.
Everything is such a hot mess. I have no idea how I’m going to focus on sewing tonight. But the lady you sent to help is amazing. She kept her head down in my room, packing up hamster clothes, while we all had a meltdown in the living room. So…there’s that?
I love you. Everything will be okay, I promise. We’ll get through this.
Call me!
By the time I’m done reading, my throat is so tight that when Gideon asks what’s wrong, I can barely croak out, “I’m not exactly sure.” I reach for my water, gulping a drink before muttering, “I have to call Noelle.” I stand, starting toward the balcony, only to spin back to him with a hand raised, “Don’t look at your phone, okay? Something’s happened, something bad, and she doesn’t want you to find out about it from Adrian. She’s pretty sure he texted you.”
Gideon’s brows snatch together. “What?” He moves toward the entryway, where he always drops his wallet and phone on the table by the door.
“Please, Gideon, don’t,” I say, my heart surging into my throat. “Noelle’s been my friend since we were kids. She’s not the kind of person to exaggerate in a crisis. If she thinks we’d be better off hearing about what happened from her, I’m sure she’s right.”
He hesitates. “He’s not hurt?”
“No, not physically, anyway,” I say. Gideon pulls in a breath, clearly about to ask a follow-up question, but I cut him off, “I’m not sure what’s happened, only that it has something to do with your ex and Adrian. And us. And…Adrian finding out about us.”
Gideon’s face falls as he curses.
“I know. This sucks.” I extend a hand. “Want to come outside with me? We can put Noelle on speakerphone? A little fresh air makes everything better, right?”
He hesitates only a beat more before crossing the room and wrapping his big palm around mine. “I’m so sorry. But I’m not sorry about you. Or us.”
“Me, either,” I say, wanting to tell him I’m pretty sure I’m in love with him, in fact. But this isn’t the time. I don’t want the memory of the first time I say those words to be tangled up in this mess. Instead, I squeeze his hand, and promise, “We’ll handle this. Whatever it is. We’re tougher than we look.”
His lips hook up on one side. “You, maybe. I look super tough. It’s one of the first things people notice about me.”
“Especially in pajama pants with tiny cows all over them,” I say.
He shrugs. “They were a prank gift from a friend at the Vermont office. I need to do laundry.”
“I love them,” I whisper, letting him draw me against him. I rest my face against his chest, still warm from our shower beneath his white cotton shirt and draw his strength into my soul.
I’m about to pull back to head outside when my phone dings again.
I look down to see another text from Noelle—Please call me, Syd! I just took a sewing break to check in with the boys, and Ben said Adrian’s on his way to his dad’s place right now. He could be there any second!
I jerk my gaze up to Gideon, who’s reading over my shoulder.
“Call her while I get dressed,” he says, backing toward the bedroom. “You should get dressed, too.”
