Page 128 of Meant to Be

JOSIE

Ilay in bed with the fan on full blast as I gaze up at the ceiling.

See you soon, Josie

See you soon, Josie

See you soon, Josie

Those words swirl violently in my mind, making me feel nauseous. What does he mean,see you soon? Panic wells inside me at the thought. Like I have all night, I repeat the moment I entered the club after the fight with Nick in my mind.

He was there. But he couldn’t have been. The night club we went to was a very popular spot, one Ihavebeen to with Elliot on numerous occasions. But was he really there, the very night I was? If he was, surely, he would have flagged me down? Said something?

I was hysterical, drunk, with my eyes full of tears, when I thought I saw him. When I blinked, there was no one there.

I groan, throwing my arm across my face. My mind has been circling around this all night. I feel exhausted, but sleep won’t come. And it is way too fucking hot in here. Like always.

When there’s a knock at my door, I startle so bad that I hit my head on my bedframe. Nervously, I get to my feet and pad through the room. My hands won’t stop trembling.

Harley’s face hovers outside the glass and I let out a shaky breath of relief.

I unlock the door, letting him inside. His eyes glance down to my bare legs.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” I say.

I reach up and curl my arms around him, pulling him to me. He sinks into my body, hugging me back.

“I’m sorry.”

“I know,” he says. “Me too.”

“I’m so glad you’re here.”

When I release him, I stand on my tiptoes and kiss him, dragging him towards the bed. He kicks his shoes off and yanks his shirt over his head.

“You left.”

“Yeah,” I whisper. “I made such a mess of things.”

“You can’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Pack your things and leave without a word,” he croaks. “That’s the second time you’ve done that to me. When you disappear like that and don’t reply …” He swallows, hands gripping my face tenderly. “You scared the shit out of me, Josie.”

I push my body into his, lying my cheek on his chest.

“I’m always in flight mode,” I murmur. “I never stop long enough to consider other people’s feelings.”

“You can’t do that to me, Josie. Not anymore.”

My finger draws patterns over his chest and I feel the steady rhythm of his chest rising and falling.

“Okay,” I say. “I won’t.”

“Okay.”