Page 72 of Crossed Lines

There’s a moment of silence where neither one of us knows what to say next. This feels like such a delicate situation, and I don’t want to ruin it by saying too much or asking too much, and I imagine he feels the same way.

Finally, he breaks the silence. “Well, tell me what Italy is like.”

I smile and lie down on my bed. “It’s beautiful, Beck.”

I tell him everything from our sightseeing adventures to us teaching and all my classes. He listens intently and asks questions every now and then. When Macy comes back in the room, I move out to our shared area in the building so that I don’t disturb her.

Beck tells me about Jade and how he misses not having her around as much now that Gemma is back in town. I hate that he’s lonely, but he assures me he’s ok. The ranch seems to be keeping him busy.

When I yawn for the fifth time, Beck says, “Baby, I think you need to get to bed.”

It’s after midnight here, but with the time difference, he’s probably getting ready to have dinner. “I know,” I say glumly. I don’t want to hang up.

“We can talk again. You call me whenever you want, alright?”

“Are you sure it’s ok? I don’t want to bother you.”

“Willow, I could listen to you talk all day and all night. You’d never bother me. The only thing that would bother me is if you aren’t living your life because you’re sitting around talking to me. So if you happen to have a free evening or you want to say goodnight, I’m here. But I want you to enjoy your time in Italy. I’ll be here when you get back.”

“You promise?” I ask.

“I promise.”

He’ll be there when I get back. I want to ask if that means we’re together-together, but it doesn’t feel like the right time. I just know that I love him and that he feels something for me. If it’s meant to be, we can make it through the next few months being apart.

“Alright, well, will you give Jade a hug from me? And send me pictures. I miss her.”

He laughs. “I will. She misses you, too. Trust me.”

“Alright…” I hesitate because I don’t want to hang up.

“Hey, Willow? Thanks for calling,” he says.

I smile even though he can’t see me. “Thanks for answering.”

“Good night, baby.”

“Good night, Beck.”

Reluctantly, I hang up the phone. I lie down on the couch and hold the phone to my chest. I feel so much better now that I’ve gotten to talk to him. Even if we aren’t anything, it still feels good to hear his voice. And he called me baby, which I’m probably reading too much into but still. I liked it.

After a moment of soaking in my giddiness, I sit up and make my way back to my room. It’s late, and I have to teach in the morning, so I need to get to bed. But tonight, when I close my eyes, I imagine Beck next to me, and it helps me drift right to sleep.

CHAPTER 26

Beck

OCTOBER

Roadside is loud tonight, but I’m not surprised. It’s a Saturday night in early October. The outdoor summer activities are all coming to a close in Blue Haven, but people are still itching for their social interaction. So, Roadside it is.

It wouldn’t be my ideal night. I’ve spent most of my nights lately moping around my house. But Sawyer asked me to come, and Jade is with her mom this weekend, so I don’t have a good excuse.

I got to talk to Willow a little while before I left the house. We talk every day since that first phone call back in August. Some calls are shorter than others. Like tonight. She was going out with Macy and some other classmates, so she didn’t have much time. But most nights, we stay on the phone for hours.

We talk about nothing and everything. Sometimes, I’ll stay on the phone while she does her homework. Or, she FaceTimes while Jade and I make dinner. It just depends. But no matter what it is, it makes me feel even closer to her. At this point, I think she knows more about me than Sawyer or Brooks.

While I love talking to her every day, I can’t wait to see her again. Although I try not to say that too often because I want her to enjoy her semester and not count down the days until she’s back like I am.