Page 71 of Crossed Lines

“I know. It’s just talking about it makes it feel so real,” I explain.

“It is real. You fell in love, and now you miss him. Have you talked to him?” she asks.

I shake my head. “No, not really. A few texts here and there, but nothing substantial.”

“Why don’t you call him?”

“Well…” Why haven’t I called him? I was trying to give him space to get his life back to normal, but he says he misses me. Maybe he’s waiting on me. “I don’t know.”

Macy rolls her eyes. “Call him, babe. I bet he’s sitting there wishing you would.”

“Yeah. Maybe I will.”

“Not right now, though, because we’ve got to get to class. Let’s go!”

I look at the time and jump up. “Oh man, we’re gonna be late!”

Macy laughs because she has no problem showing up late anywhere, but I, on the other hand, pride myself on always being on time. We gather our things and rush off toward campus.

After classes are done for the day, Macy and I have a late dinner with our friends before we make it back to our dorm. Macy leaves me to go take a shower, but I think she’s really trying to give me space so I can call Beck.

I pace the room a few times with my phone in my hand. I want to call him. I want to hear his voice. But what if he doesn’t want to hear from me?

I take one more deep breath before I press his name on my phone screen. If he doesn’t want to talk to me, then I guess I’ll know where he stands, and I can move on with my life.

It rings and rings and rings until I think it’s going to voicemail, when the ringing finally stops.

“Willow?” His deep voice comes through the phone.

“Beck. Um, hi.”

“Is everything ok?”

“Yeah, yeah. Everything is fine. I just… are you busy?” God, I sound like an idiot.

“No, I’m not busy. I was just in the shower. Just give me a sec and let me grab a towel.”

I hear him turn the water off, and that makes me smile. He got out of the shower to take my call. I guess that means he does want to talk to me.

“Ok, I’m back. What’s going on?” he asks.

I sit down on my bed. “Not much. I guess I just wanted to hear your voice. Is—Is this ok? Me calling you?”

He exhales. “Yeah, baby. This is ok. I’ve been missing you.”

He called me baby. I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not….

Ok, there’s a tear rolling down my cheek. Maybe I’ll cry a little bit.

“You texted me and then… nothing,” I say. I don’t have to ask him why. He knows what I’m asking.

“I know. I guess I’ve been trying to give you space so you can enjoy your time in Italy. I don’t want you to feel like you’re tied down to this place because of me.”

So we were both trying to give each other space when neither one of us wanted it. Idiots.

“I’m having a blast in Italy. But… I also don’t think it would be so bad to be tied down to Blue Haven, you know? Like, I’m not sure those two things are mutually exclusive.”

He chuckles, and it sends warmth straight to my stomach. “Yeah, I guess they’re not.”