Page 48 of One Good Crash

Silently, he reached into his pocket and pulled out my phone, along with my wallet. He placed both of them on the stack of clothing and asked, "Anything else?"

I shook my head. "Thanks for everything. And sorry for all the trouble."

He smiled. "Like I said before, I don’t mind a little trouble."

I'd caused him a lot more than a little, but this time, I didn't argue. Instead, I said goodnight and watched as he turned away, only to stop in mid-step. He turned back and said, "Do me a favor. Lock the door, alright?"

I gave the bedroom door a nervous glance. I would've locked it anyway, out of habit if nothing else. But his warning wasn't exactly comforting. "Why?" I asked.

"Better safe than sorry." And with that, he turned and strode off, leaving me watching from the open doorway.

When he disappeared around the corner, I shut the bedroom door and locked it behind me. And then, I ran a hot bath and washed the grit out of my hair.

I emerged after a long soak feeling a lot warmer and nearly human. Wrapped in an oversized towel, I began sifting through the stack of clothing, which I'd placed on the bathroom countertop.

Rifling through the pile, I found several pairs of shorts, black yoga pants, a Michigan State sweatshirt, a bunch of socks, and a few cotton T-shirts in varying colors and sizes.

Tucked within the folds of the largest T-shirt, I discovered a wad of lacy undergarments with the tags still attached.

Feeling incredibly self-conscious, I lifted a pair of pink panties and glanced at the tag. I couldn’t help but swallow. They cost more than my best pair of jeans.

Whose panties were these, anyway?

Obviously, they'd never been worn, but they surely belonged tosomeone– unless Jax kept a supply on-hand, just in case.

On that disturbing note, I dropped the panties onto the stack and stared at the whole pile. There was enough clothing for several nights.

It was incredibly thoughtful and just a little bit unnerving.

Wrapping the towel tighter around my chest, I looked up to study my reflection in the bathroom mirror. Just like always, my mom's face stared back at me.

My hair was still dripping, and any makeup was long washed away. But the face was all too familiar, and I tried to smile at my reflection. Why, I wasn't sure. To reassure myself that everything would be okay? Or to remind myself that Iwasn'tmy mom?

If she'd gottenherway, it would beherinside this house, not me. And one thing was for darn sure – shewouldn'tbe staying in the guest room.

In the end, I dressed in the cheapest of the undergarments along with pink running shorts and a little gray T-shirt. And then, I dried my hair and wandered into the bedroom area.

With my cellphone in-hand, I sat on the edge of the bed to check my messages.

As I listened to one after another, I felt my stomach twist into knots. None of the messages were good, particularly the ones from Allie. They made me feel – and rightfully so – that I was the most thoughtless person in the universe.

When I finished listening, I blew out a long, shaky breath. Somehow, I had to reach her.

Chapter 21

With growing desperation, I clutched my cellphone tight against my ear and listened to the ringing on the other end. Silently, I repeated the same prayer over and over.Please answer, please answer, please answer…

But my prayers, like the phone in Allie's apartment, went unanswered as the call went eventually to voicemail.

Damn it.

I disconnected and tried her cellphone. This time, there was no ringing at all. Instead, it wentstraightto voicemail, like her phone was dead or turned off.

Double damn it.

I listened with growing impatience as her cheerful greeting told me to leave a message.

After the beep, I said in a rush, "Hey, it's me. Listen, I'msosorry that I didn't call you sooner, but things are okay, so don't worry, alright?" I hesitated. "I mean, they're not a hundred percent okay, but it's nothing I can't handle. And…"