Page 129 of The Deception You Weave

I let out the breath I wasn't aware I was holding when I see Kane's name.

"Hello," I say in the rush long before I've even got my cell to my ear. "Is everything okay? Are you okay?"

He doesn't speak for a second and my head starts to spin as my heart races in my chest.

But when his voice finally does come down the line, it doesn't make me feel any better about the situation.

"Y-yeah. Everything is fine." Every hair on my body stands on end at the cold tone of his voice. It's cold and like he's not really here with me right now.

"You're lying," I spit, not wanting to beat around the bush. We've done enough of that over the years.

"No, I'm not. I've just got a few things I need to sort out."

"With Reid?"

"Uh—"

"I ran into Devin," I say, filling in the gaps for him.

"Right, yeah. I'm with him, we're just sorting some shit out."

"Okay, well. Will you be in class tomorrow?"

"I don't know. Listen, I need to go. I just… I'm sorry, Letty. The second all this is done, I'll be right there with you. I promise."

I hesitate, not knowing what to say back, in the end, what I say is probably the wrong thing. "I meant what I said in the car yesterday morning, Kane. I'm not going to live that life, so if you are, then you need to tell me now."

"Princess," he sighs, and I picture him running his hand through his hair in frustration. "I need you to trust me. Can you do that?"

I bite down on my bottom lip. My jerk reaction is yes, but that's crazy. He's proved to me time and time again over the years that I shouldn't, and I'm still not convinced that he's not playing me.

"Okay, fair enough," he says sadly when I don't respond. "But I'm going to prove to you that you can."

"Okay. So…"

"I'll see you soon, Let. I promise."

"And what do you expect me to do in the meantime, just sit here and wait like a loser?"

"What? No. I don't expect that of you. Enjoy yourself, you're at college. I'll be there before you know it."

"Right, okay, fine." There's a soft knock on my door. "I've got to go." I hang up before he can say anything back and I school my features before calling out for Elle to come in.

"You ready?" she asks but I've got my head in my closet pretending to search for a swimsuit when really, I'm just fighting my tears.

Trust him,he says. Yeah, as if it's that easy.

* * *

Ella took us to a spa on the other side of town. Apparently, she had vouchers for her birthday earlier in the year and hadn't had a chance to use them.

The place was incredible, and it should have been relaxing if it weren't for the fact I spent the whole time repeating my brief conversation with Kane over and over in my head as if there was a clue in his words somewhere as to what's really going on.

I tried to get involved with the conversation with Ella and Vi but every time they looked at me, I saw my own sadness reflected back at me in their eyes, I knew I was failing.

Friday is much like the day before. Kane isn't there to walk me to class, and aside from knowing that he was at practice because Brax let it slip over breakfast once they came back, I don't see or hear from him all day.

I sit on my own in our sociology class, trying to focus on what the professor is saying but barely hearing a word of it as I worry about where the man is who should be sitting beside me.