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Without another word, she nods to one of the staff who stands next to her holding her bags, and they disappear. I quickly rinse my bowl and place it in the dishwasher. We have a housekeeper for that, but I’m perfectly capable of doing it on my own. I move toward the hallway and watch as my mother slides into the back seat of the SUV.
I wait until I can no longer see it before making my way up to my room. I close and lock my bedroom door just in case, then rush to my nightstand and dig around for my phone and see I have a message from Ryder.
Ryder: Just checking in, sweets. It’s going to be a long one. Missing you. I’m sorry I had to bail on our plans.
Me: You’ve said that already, and you have nothing to be sorry for. This is your job, Ryder. This is who are you, and I love you for all that you are. I miss you too.
Ryder: I’ll make it up to you.
Me: All I want is for you to stay safe.
Ryder: Always, sweets.
It’s just after nine in the morning and I’m already bored out of my mind. Phone in hand, I make my way into my en suite bathroom and start a bath. I might as well spend some time practicing self-care. It’s been a while since I indulged in a long, hot bath. Going back to my nightstand, I grab my Kindle, thankful that it’s waterproof, and take it back to the bathroom with me.
I’ll get lost in the spicy rom-com I’m reading from Rebel Shaw while I’ll soak in the tub and wait for my next update from Ryder.
The sun is setting by the time I pull into the lot of Gianna’s condo. She doesn’t know I’m coming over. I probably should have called first, but I know my bestie, and she’s not going to be upset that I just dropped by unannounced. Well, I mean, she could be in a compromising position with Calvin. Shit, I should have thought about that. Oh, well, I’m here now. Grabbing both phones, my purse, and keys, I climb out of the car and make my way to her front door.
I knock and wait for her to come to the door. When it opens, I see the surprise on her face. “Jordyn. Hey. Is everything okay?”
“Yes.” I nod as well because, for some reason, I’m nervous. “I came to ask for a favor.”
“Anything. Come on in.” She steps back, and I head inside, leaving enough room for her to shut the door. “We just ordered pizza. Are you hungry?”
Starving, but that’s not why I’m here. “I’m good. Thank you.”
“What’s going on, Jordyn?”
Reaching into my purse, I pull out my phone, the one I know my mother tracks. “I was hoping you could keep this for me for tonight, maybe the rest of the weekend. I don’t think she’ll message since she’s out of town for the weekend, but I—” I glance at Calvin and he gives me a kind smile and a wave. “I’m embarrassed to admit this, but Ryder is out in storm for his job, and we were supposed to meet at the movies, and it’s been two weeks since I’ve seen him. I miss him. He’s not home, but he told me I can go to his place anytime, and I just—I want to be close to him without being close to him, if that makes any sense. I’m rambling. This was a stupid idea.” I drop my phone back into my bag.
“It’s not a stupid idea,” Gianna says soothingly. “You miss him. I get it.”
Calvin stands and walks toward me. When he gets close, he pulls me into a hug. “I know I’m not Ryder, but I thought you could use a hug.”
Tears prick my eyes. “Thank you,” I say, hugging him back. I feel another set of arms around us, and I laugh as Gianna joins us.
“You two can’t leave me out,” she says, and I hear the emotion in her voice. She’s finally found her a good one. A man like Ryder, who is supportive of rambling best friends who show up asking for ridiculous help to deceive her mother just to be able to sneak off and be next to her boyfriend’s things while he’s working.
“I needed that,” I say, pulling out of their embrace and wiping at my eyes.
“Come sit.” Gianna takes me by the hand and leads me to the couch. “Now, tell me what’s going on.”
“Ryder and I were supposed to get together at the movie theater tonight. The storm knocked out the power, as you know, and he’s working, getting everyone back on the grid. By the way, how do you have power?” I tilt my head to the side.
