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“I’m not dying, you know. I’ll still be here. We can hang out.” Humor, the perfect derailment. It’ll help me focus on anything other than his shallow, hypnotic breaths.
“I know that, but with you moving away, hanging out is going to be hard.”
“Stop being so melodramatic.” I laugh, the mood lightening. “I’m just moving to my parents’. It’s not like I’m moving to a different state.”
Sam stiffens, which has the hair on the back of my neck standing on end. “Oh.”
Who would have thought two letters could amount to an entirety of commotion? “Oh? What does oh mean?”
“Never mind. Forget I said anything.”
This, of course, has the complete opposite effect. “No way.” I pull back to face him, and when he instantly averts his gaze to peer down at his shoes, I know something is wrong. “Samuel? What’s going on?”
He closes his eyes and sighs, his uneasiness clear. But he knows I won’t let this go. His eyelids flutter open as he sheepishly looks at me. “You’re moving to Oregon.” I blink once, stunned. “You are moving, right?” he asks when seeing my reaction.
“No, I am not,” I reply, paling. “Who said that?”
“Lucy, I think you’d better—”
“Who said it, Sam?” I cut him off because he will put an end to a conversation he started.
We’re barely moving to the music, but somehow, bodies crowd the dance floor, blocking our escape route—blocking my path to Saxon. Sam is torn, that much is clear, which has me wondering what exactly he knows that I clearly don’t.
“I overheard Sax on the phone when we were in the garage, clearing it out. Whoever he was talking to, he said he hadn’t convinced you to move, but you’d come around. But that was three days ago. I just assumed he’d have spoken to you by now. And the fact you guys are so happy, I just thought…fuck, I’m sorry. I thought he’d have spoken to you about it because of the garages.”
“Garage?” I amend, but Sam shakes his head slowly.
“No, garages. Saxon has bought two more garages in Oregon. He didn’t tell you?”
I can barely speak. “No.”
“Fuck… Lucy, I am so sorry. I didn’t know. I thought he’d involve you in a decision this big. A decision which affects your future.”
“So would I,” I counter, breathlessly. The walls begin closing in on me, and I need to flee before I suffocate. Severing our hold, I quickly turn, needing the exit more than ever. But not before Sam adds the proverbial nail.
Clasping my wrist, he drags me toward him, whispering in my ear. “I don’t know who Cleo is, but she’s the one he’s been speaking to. I thought you should know.” Tears sting my eyes, and I tug myself free. I need to get out of here, and I need to get out of here now.
Nothing else matters but finding an exit, so when I see the red sign, I run toward it, excusing myself as I charge through the crowd and out the front door. The air feels bitterly cold, but it could be the alarm seeping into my body, chilling my bones.
Wrapping my arms around me, I hug my middle, attempting to collect my thoughts. The snippets Sam shared make no sense because it’s all news to me. Saxon has not mentioned a single word, and I need to know why.
“Lucy.” Saxon is breathless. That makes two of us because I know what is about to take place will steal the air from my sails.
“Did you buy another garage? Two, in fact.” I don’t see the point dancing around the truth. We’re way past that. It’s probably a good thing my back faces him because I’d lose my nerve otherwise. His silence speaks volumes. “It’s either a yes or no answer.” I already know what his response will be, but I need to hear it.
“Yes,” he finally replies.
“Why wouldn’t you tell me this?”
“Because there’s a lot going on.”
“Which is precisely why you should have told me.”
“Please…look at me.”
His broken request tugs at my heartstrings, so I do as he asks and turn around. “Why would you keep this from me?”
He lowers his eyes, just as he did at the barbecue when I said if we’re going to make this work, then we have to be honest with one another. I wondered why—I now know.
