Silence.
Then, “I’ll be there in ten.”
Disconnect.
I flipped my phone shut.
Fuck.
Chapter Ten
My Sylvie
A warm, late summer day in Kentucky, twenty-two years earlier, Creed is seventeen, Sylvie is eleven, one day away from being twelve…
I got off my bike, leaned it against the wall, walked down the side of the building, pulled open the door, walked into the frozen milk stand and saw him right away.
Creed with his girlfriend, Natalie.
My stomach started hurting.
I began to turn around real quick but he was laughing, his head moved and he caught sight of me.
“Hey, Sylvie.”
I gave a stupid wave then turned around and walked out the door.
But I ran to my bike.
I pulled it from the wall and started to get on when I heard, “Hey! Yo! Wait!”
I looked up and saw Creed’s long legs were bringing him to me.
He was so beautiful.
As he got closer, my head went back, back until he stopped in front of me.
“You not gettin’ any ice cream?” he asked.
I shook my head. “No. I forgot. I gotta get home. The stepmonster is taking me shopping for my birthday.”
This wasn’t totally a lie. She was supposed to. She just hadn’t got out of bed yet.
“Right,” he muttered then grinned. “We on for the lake tomorrow?”
No way. He’d probably want to bring Natalie.
I shook my head. “Sorry, I should have… I forgot to tell you. I’m going over to my friend’s house tomorrow. All day slumber party.”
His head jerked to the side and his voice was quiet when he reminded me, “We always meet at the lake for your birthday, Sylvie.”
“I’ll meet you the day after but I can’t stay long.”
“Come in the mornin’, before you go to your friend’s, just real quick,” he urged.
“I… I can’t. I’m going over there early.”
“Then I’ll meet you earlier.”