Page 85 of Swept Away

Men hated that they couldn’t make her stay.

They hated themselves even more because they couldn’t resist her.

That’s a powerful combination.

My phone buzzes again, and I’m pretty sure that’s another text message.

“Sorry,” I say when she tilts her gaze down. “I probably need to check this. It must be from someone from school. Someone who wants to wish me a happy birthday.”

Her eyes instantaneously move to her wristwatch–it’s a bit late for congratulatory messages–but she says nothing.

“No problem.”

She flashes a smile.

“I’ll go back. You can stay here.”

I watch her step out of the room when a third message arrives.

I put the box down and sit on the bed, scanning the messages.

Mason: Where are you?

And then him again.

Mason: Gemma?

And then again.

Mason: I need to talk to you.

Man, he’s impatient.

I haven’t heard from him or Carter in a week, and now he’s all anxious to get me on the phone?

I ponder whether to text him back, and then I slide my phone back into my pocket and just ignore him.

GEMMA

I barely get back to the table, and my phone rings.

I swiftly mute the ringer and turn it off under the table.

It’s not like me to be mean, but now I realize I haven’t been too happy about not hearing from them the entire week.

Yeah, I thought I did all right.

I even lied to myself that I did, but some part of me wanted to hear from them.

If nothing else, I wanted to know they were okay. And him asking about me would’ve also been nice.

I’ll talk to him later.

For the next few minutes, I struggle to stay still and not check the time too often.

Regardless of my plans, people want to go home, and I do too, so a few minutes before midnight, we’re all heading to the door.

My aunt calls a cab for me, and I ask the driver to drop me off a block away from my place.