Page 14

Fearless (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift

Addie

M y phone rings from the other side of the living room, and I leap to answer it before it wakes Nora.

I did not read her five different picture books, tuck in every one of her stuffed animals, and sing her a lullaby for her to wake up and require me to do it all over again.

“Hello?”

“Addie, Hi.” Ben’s voice is hoarse through the phone. “I’m sorry to call so late.”

“That’s okay.” Trepidation weighs heavily on my chest. “What’s going on?”

“I have the stomach flu.”

Oh, gross .

There’s a pause, followed by a faint gagging sound.

“I can’t travel tomorrow,” he says.

My stomach drops.

No.

This can’t be happening.

“I know this complicates childcare for Nora,” he continues, “but you’re the next senior person, and the only one I trust.”

The line goes quiet again, and then a toilet flushes. My head is spinning, trying to find a way to make it work, but Meagan is out of town, and Marlene can’t watch Nora overnight.

I don’t have anyone else.

“I’m really sorry, Addie.”

I know Ben would never put me in this position if it wasn’t his last option, and he sounds horrible on the phone, so I know he’s hanging on by a thread.

“It’s okay.” I sound more chipper than I feel. “I’ll make it work. Feel better.”

“Thank you.” Another pause, “I’m lucky to have you,” he says before hanging up.

I drop my phone on the couch, and my head falls back.

What am I going to do?

Tears rim my eyes as the anxiety begins to overwhelm me. I’m dialing Declan before I can think about the decision.

He answers on the second ring. “Hi, Addie,” he purrs, the sound a deep timbre that vibrates my bones. “I was just thinking about you.”

“You were?”

He must hear the tremble in my voice because he says, “What’s wrong?”

“Ben. Stomach flu. Nora.”

The words are choked and incomprehensible.

“Addie, baby, breathe.” I take a deep breath, pulling air into my lungs and forcing my pulse to settle. He takes a breath on the other line, loud and meant to calm me. “Tell me what’s going on.”

“Ben can’t travel tomorrow, so I have to, but there’s no one to take care of Nora. That's why I don’t travel.”

The other end of the line is silent, then the call switches to FaceTime, and Declan appears on my screen, lying in bed with his arm behind his head. His hair is mussed, and there’s a pair of glasses perched on his nose, deepening the blue of his eyes.

I take a peek at myself in the corner of the screen, and I’ve seen better days. My hair is frizzy and sticking out of my ponytail. My eyes are red-rimmed and my cheeks are flushed.

“I wanted to see your face,” he admits, rolling onto his side. “I’ve missed seeing your smile.”

His pupils dilate, and his tongue darts out to wet his lips. I gulp, and the energy shifts.

We’ve barely seen each other at work. He’s been busy with team meetings and film, and I’ve been drowning in invoices and keeping my interns alive.

I offer him a watery smile.

“Stunning,” he murmurs. “I think I have a solution to your problem.”

“How?”

“Trust me?” I nod. “Prepare yourself.”

My brows crinkle, but I quickly understand his meaning when, one by one, his friends pop into the FaceTime call. Nathalie is in the kitchen, standing in front of the stove with Deon behind her, Sawyer is lying somewhere, her blonde hair fanned out below her, and Maren is surrounded by plants, a smudge of dirt on her face.

“We got the bat signal,” Maren says, wiping her brow and adding to the dirt on her face. “What did you need?”

“Is that Addie?” Nathalie asks, moving her face closer to the screen. “Hi!”

She’s thrown out of the view of the camera, and Deon appears.

“The cookies and cream ice cream recipe is your best work yet,” Deon says, shoving a scoop of ice cream in his mouth. “Think we could make it minty?”

“Disgusting toothpaste ice cream,” Nathalie grumbles, pushing him so they both fit in view.

Declan jumps in. “Addie is going to travel to Nashville with us tomorrow,” he says.

“Yes!” Deon cheers. “Sit by me on the plane. We have recipes to discuss.”

If all else goes to shit, at least I know Deon will always love me—as long as I continue to make smoothies and give him ice cream recipes.

“Doesn’t she always travel?” Maren asks, flipping her camera to show Jack crouched over a pot. “Look at how hot he looks, guys.”

Jack glances over his shoulder and rolls his eyes. “Hi, Addie! How’s Nora doing?”

“Well, that’s what we wanted to talk about,” Declan says.

We?

“Addie doesn’t travel because she doesn’t have overnight childcare for Nora,” Declan says the words out loud, and shame settles in my stomach. I feel like a horrible mother. “But Ben is out sick, which means she needs to cover for him.”

There’s a pause, and the girls exchange a glance before screaming, “Sleepover!”

“What?” It’s the first word I’ve spoken.

“My house or yours, Maren?” Sawyer asks.

“We could show her the greenhouse and use the vegetables for dinner,” Maren says.

“Perfect,” Nathalie says, “You guys leave Wednesday, so I can pick her up after school and bring her over.”

“I’ll make sure both of the guest rooms are set up,” Maren adds.

“Addie, what time does Nora go to bed?” Sawyer asks, “Does she have any allergies or a routine we need to know about?”

I’m mute, trying to keep up with the conversation but miserably failing. What is happening right now?

“I-I’m sorry. I’m confused.”

“We’re going to take Nora for the night,” Sawyer says, “if it’s okay with you.”

Her eyes are soft and full of understanding. She knows there’s no one else in our lives thanks to the enrollment paperwork at GameChangers.

I look at Declan on the phone, and his smile is full. He subtly nods.

“Thank you,” I say softly.

I don’t know how to express how much it means to me that they’re stepping in to help. I’ve never had that before, and it’s overwhelming knowing other people are willing to help.

I sniffle, and Declan catches the sound.

“We’ll text you the details,” he says, then ends the call. A few moments later, his name reappears on my screen. “Problem solved.”

“You have wonderful friends.”

“They’re your friends, too,” he says. I shake my head. “ Invite Addie to Book Club. Do you think Addie would like to come to family dinner again? Buck up and make Addie your girlfriend already. Those are all messages from the girls. The last one is from Maren.” He smiles, shaking his head. “The book club group chat is already blowing up with ideas to entertain Nora.”

“I didn’t realize.”

“We’re all pretty obsessed with you,” he says, “Deon the most.” I laugh. He’s not wrong. “But I’m battling him for the top spot on the list.”

I bite my lip to hide a smile. “That might be a Herculean task.”

“You’re worth the fight.” My smile cracks through, and I let the giddy feeling wash over me. He makes me feel wanted in a way I haven’t before, and we’ve only shared a peck on the lips. “So…does this mean you’re mine for the night?”

My heart races, and a small kernel of lust settles in my lower stomach. His smirk grows when my face heats. Fuck, I’m blushing .

“I can’t wait,” he says. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Adeline.”

He hangs up, leaving me reeling on the couch.

Tomorrow, I have to tell him everything before we move forward.

I owe him that much.