Page 113 of The Arrangement

Panic rises in her voice. “This has been such a shock to me in so many ways. I told you I didn’t want to get married?—”

“But you did marry me. And I fell in love with you.” My voice cracks. “Hopelessly in love with you, Chloe. I’ve fallen so fucking hard for you that I can’t breathe.”

“Jason, I?—”

Click!

The line goes dead.

“Fuck,” I growl, combing through my pockets and the glove compartment for a phone charger. But there is none.

I throw my phone in the seat beside me, the car in reverse, and try to get home as fast as I can.

Chapter 27

Chloe

“Ihave a bad feeling, Mimi.”

“What’s the matter, sweetheart?” She removes her glasses and sets them next to her crossword on the table beside the recliner. “You’ve acted strangely all day.”

A thunderbolt strikes overhead, sending a rumble through Mimi’s house.

I have acted out of sorts all day.I’ve been out of sorts all day.

I’ve avoided this conversation with my grandmother in hopes that Jason will be back so we can get back on the same page. Today was just too much for both of us. Jason had Renn to take care of and his father’s situation on his mind. I was thrown for a loop hearing him sayI love youand watching him hold Arlo … and feeling like my world just shifted upside down.

I was caught off guard and didn’t mean to make Jason think I didn’t love him back. But I know that’s what he’s thinking … I just hope he didn’t hang up on me a few hours ago.

Things are a mess and it’s my fault.

“What’s wrong, Chloe?” she asks.

I can’t tell her that Jason just told me he loves me. That would sound the alarm. She’ll wonder why he’s just telling menow, and I’ll have to explain everything. I’m trying to limit drama today, not add a whole mountain of it.

“Nothing, really,” I say, folding my arms over my stomach. “We just had our first disagreement. And now he’s not here, and the weather’s just shitty. I wish Jason were home.”

“When should he return?”

I shrug. “I think the flight is like two hours or so. I don’t know how far he was from the airport in Florida. He should be getting back soon.”

My stomach knots at the truth that I don’t share.He should’ve been back by now.

I tried calling him several times, but it went straight to voicemail. I’m sure his phone’s probably dead because he spent all night in the hospital. Still, I hate not being able to hear his voice. I hate feeling so disconnected from him.

The situation eats me up inside. The more time that passes, the more panicked I get. I need to talk about it and have someone assure me this will be okay.

“Meems, I might’ve screwed up today.”

“Oh?”

I shift around on the sofa. “I’ve sort of avoided telling Jason that I love him.”

Her brows fly to the ceiling.

“I know it’s nuts,” I say. “But he seems to understand and didn’t say it to me. Until today.”

“And what happened today?”