coming and stepped aside, evading her. She let out a frustrated sound, but said, “Your phone is ringing.”
“What?” I looked at her. “What’d you say?”
She pointed to my pocket. “Your phone is ringing, and I’m pretty sure that’s your brother. It’s the same ringtone from when he called you last night.”
I closed my eyes, wanting to scream at the girl because she was the one in front of me, but I didn’t. That’d be an asshole thing to do, and my asshole limits were set at sleeping with girls, not taking anything else out on them. I heard the ring this time, and I pulled out my phone and answered. “Yeah?”
“You need to get back.”
“Why? What’s going on?”
“Because Dad just called,” Mason said. “He said he reached out. Rankin won’t be a problem. I don’t know how he did it or what he did, and we’re not supposed to ask questions, but he did it. Rankin is supposed to stay away.”
I waited. I knew Mason had something else to deliver.
And then, he did. “And he’s coming to town. He’s calling in his favor.”
LOVE YOU BACK, FIRECRACKER
TAYLOR
I couldn’t run anymore after that realization, but eventually I could move again. I ended up walking back to the house, but when I went inside, I just stood there. Nothing made sense. I had no idea what to do. The door shut behind me, but I barely heard it. My keys fell from my hands, clattering to the floor.
I loved Logan.
I couldn’t—I loved him. I hadn’t thought I could love again.
A dazed cloud settled on top of me, but my mind was spinning at the same time. I wanted to shout and throw my hands in the air, then I wanted to shed more tears. All at once. I was all over the place, so I sat down.
Right where I was. In the middle of the front entryway, I crossed my feet over my lap, and I leaned forward. I…I loved Eric. Or I had. It felt like all my life he’d been at my side. He was my best friend in elementary school, my crush in junior high, and my boyfriend for the next four and a half years. He was going to be my partner for life, and he’d taken my heart with him when he left me.
Or so I thought.
I couldn’t…I couldn’t believe it. And then a wave of yearning crushed me. I wanted someone to talk to. Jason…he was gone. The person I really wanted to talk to was my mom. And she was gone, too. I wrapped my arms around my knees and rocked back and forth. She would’ve been ecstatic for me. She would’ve hugged me, told me to go after whoever made me happy, and she would’ve waved in the window as I left to do just that.
She should’ve been here. “Mom,” I whispered.
“What did you say?”
I looked up to see my dad standing there with a cup of coffee in one hand and a book in the other. “You’re home.” I had to blink a few times before it processed in my head.
He frowned. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You’re never home.”
“Oh.” The frown deepened, and his chest lifted as he took in a breath. “Um. Okay.”
He put his book on the stand, took a sip of his coffee, and placed the mug next to it. He took a step toward me and folded his hands behind his back.
“Yes. I know I’ve been…” His hand tugged at his collar before it went back behind his back. “…absent for the last few months.”
“You think?” I retorted. I grabbed the ends of my shirt and fisted my hands around it, stretching it tight. It was becoming harder to breathe, and a hot and burning feeling started in my chest. “Why are you home?” I asked.
“Honey…” He stepped back, his eyes closed. “I’m sorry, Taylor.”
“You’re sorry?” I couldn’t have heard that right. “For what? For not being around? For not helping with Mom’s funeral plans? For not being here, ever? What exactly are you sorry for?”
“Honey—”
“Stop.” I stood up, shoving off from the floor. “I don’t want your apology.”
“Taylor—”
I shook my head. God. I could see it all over him. He felt bad. His face was filled with regret. He wanted to take everything back. I saw all of it, and none of that helped. “Don’t.” My voice dropped. “You can’t take anything back.”
He looked at me, drawing in a deep breath. His lips pressed together before he said, “I’ve