but my presence isn’t something I’ll push on anyone. Ian needs to get better. Hopefully, this will be his cure, and his parents need to be focused on their son.
Not me.
Not to mention, I ran out of Insanity, and miss my girl.
After Mrs. Lovecraft’s comment about Angel, I make a decision. I can’t wait to get home and ask a very important question.
Twenty-Four
Angel
It’s been days since Spike disappeared. Despite several texts and a few calls, there’s no answer, no response.
There’s a whole lot of nothing, and honestly, I’m trying not to freak out. I’m not a clingy girl. Or rather, I’d like to think I’m not, but I’m becoming this whole other person with his disappearance.
I check my phone every minute.
Obsessively.
Compulsively.
Like I’m in totally not healthy territory. So much so that it freaks me out.
That’s why I let the batteries run down on my phone and ditched it in my room. I’ll charge it later, and when it juices up, there’d better be some form of communication from Spike.
What if there isn’t?
Oh, hell if I know.
I hate being this needy, clingy, insecure thing. I hate that he has this much power over me. I’m not needy. I’m not clingy. And yet, I’m totally obsessed with Spike.
“Can you stop that.” Mitzy glances over at me and gives a shake of her head.
“Stop, what?”
We’re outside, chilling poolside, and reading. She’s got a gamer’s magazine and I’ve got an old-fashioned book in my hands. Not a romance. I can’t deal with that right now. I’m reading hard-core science fiction; something worlds away from anything relationship driven. Except it’s not. All fiction deals with relationships.
I’m totally obsessing again.
“All that huffing and puffing and flipping around.” Mitzy tilts her sunglasses down and looks at me over the rims. “We’re supposed to be chilling and relaxing.”
“How can I chill when Spike disappeared?” She does that thing again, pressing her lips together and looking away. “You know where he is, don’t you?”
“I didn’t say that, and I don’t technically know where he is.”
Ah-ha! “But you know something.” I sit up straight and swing my legs around until I face her. “Where is he?”
“I told you, I don’t know.”
“But you know something.”
“Didn’t say that.”
“You don’t have to. It’s written all over your face. Come on, tell me.”
“There’s nothing to tell.” Mitzy is a horrible liar.
“Well, what do you know?”
“Nothing.” She puts down the gaming magazine she’s been perusing for the last hour in a huff. “I know nothing.”
“Fine. Just answer one question.” I wait for her to say something, anything, but she gives me a deadpan expression. Mitzy can be really infuriating at times. “Please tell me that this isn’t something I should be worried about.” I put my book down and curl the pages.
“You have nothing to worry about.” Her flippant response does nothing to reassure me.
“He’s not out with someone else, is he?”
“That depends on your definition of someone else.” She peeks at me from beneath the broad band of the floppy sunhat shading her face and eyes.
“Is he with another girl?”
“Angel…” She slowly swings her legs around until we face each other. “Is that what you’re worried about?”
“Do I need to be?” Yes, that’s exactly what I’m worried about, but I can’t admit it.
“I’m sure you have nothing to worry about.”
“You’re sure as in you know, or sure as in you don’t know?”
“Okay, I can’t follow all of that, but I can tell you with absolute assurance that I don’t know where he is right now. I don’t know who he’s with, but I really don’t think you have anything to worry about. Spike hasn’t looked at another woman since you showed up on our doorstep. Why are you all twisted around this?”
I lean back and blow out a frustrated sigh. “Because I’ve never been in a real relationship before. And the ones I’ve been in before were superficial at best. I love Spike, like it’s hard to breathe when he’s not around kind of love, and that scares me.”
“That’s the best kind of love.” Mitzy spins back around and props her legs back on the lounger.
Over the past few days, I’ve confided in Mitzy. It’s been nice to finally have someone to talk to about Spike. Forest huffs and puffs. He’s full of frowns and disapproval. Skye is great, but she’s busy with the medical facility at Guardian HQ. Mitzy is the only one I can talk to. She makes her own hours and plays by her own rules.
“I’m obsessing again, aren’t I?”
“Obsessing is