Page 122 of Ruthless Creatures

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

I close my eyes and snuggle closer to him, wanting this to lastjust a little longer. But all too soon, he’s climbing out of bed and getting dressed.

I sit up in bed and pull my knees up to my chest, watching him, my lungs tight. I know this is how it will always be and feel a pang of sadness so strong it leaves me breathless. But when he turns back to me, I look down at the sheets to hide my eyes.

He doesn’t want to go, either. It’s just the way it is. Making him feel guilty won’t help either of us.

Standing at the edge of the bed, he pulls me to him. I wrap my arms around his waist and rest my head on his hard stomach as he caresses my hair.

“When do your classes start up again?”

“Next week.”

It’s a pity the school’s holiday break isn’t shorter, because without work to go back to, I’m not sure what I’ll be doing with all my extra time now that he’ll be gone.

He cups my face in his hands and turns it up so I’m looking at him. His eyes are shadowed. His voice comes very soft. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Giving me something to live for.”

He leans over and kisses me softly on the lips. Without another word, he turns and walks out.

I sit on the bed where he left me, listening to his footsteps recede through the house. The front door opens and closes, and he’s gone.

Knowing a future of little heartbreaks like this one awaits me, I struggle not to let the tears fall. Then I take a deep breath and throw the covers off, stand and straighten my shoulders, and head to the shower to start my day.

There’s no use wallowing in misery. It serves no purpose and changes nothing in the end.

If anyone knows that well, it’s me.

I do all the laundry. I clean the house from top to bottom. I take a brisk walk around the block. By the time five o’clock rolls around, I’m feeling better, certain it won’t be long before Kage comes back and this sour little knot in my stomach can unwind.

When my cell rings, I’m in the kitchen, pouring myself a glass of wine. I grab the phone from where it’s charging on the countertop. When I see the number on the readout, I’m overjoyed.

“Sloane! You’re alive!”

She laughs. “Of course I’m alive, ding-a-ling. Just because we haven’t talked in ten days doesn’t mean I’m lying in a ditch somewhere.”

“How was I supposed to know that? You didn’t call me to wish me a happy New Year.OrChristmas.”

She laughs again. “Hello, kettle, meet the pot. You didn’t call me, either.”

Grinning, I say, “I was kinda busy.”

“Oh, really? Do tell. Has your vadge fallen out yet from all the pounding it’s been taking?”

“You first. How’s Stavros? Where are you now? Africa? Belize?”

I hear the smile in her voice when she answers. “Closer. Come to the front door.”

I whirl around and hustle through the house, throwing open the front door to find her standing on my porch with her phone to her ear, grinning at me.

Wearing a dazzling hot pink ski outfit complete with white fur-lined boots and a matching furry white hat, she looks like she just returned from winning a gold medal in the Winter Olympics.

We throw our arms around each other and start laughing.

“I missed you!”