Third Chances (Men Of Manhattan #2) - Ivy Smoak Page 0,105

name again. It eventually went to voicemail.

"I'm not a hippy. I don't like vibe people's energies. This is Daphne Hughes again, by the way. Wow, once you start leaving messages it's really hard to stop, you know what I mean? But I'm stopping now. I just needed you to know that I'm sorry for assuming the worst about James. I'm sorry for freaking out about your sexual history. I don't know if it counts as history if it was just a few days ago, but that's beside the point. And I'm really sorry for pushing you away. I'm just sorry for everything. I've been having a hard time, which you could probably tell. I'm a mess, honestly. But you made me feel better. You made me smile and laugh and I really, really like you. I'm just asking for another chance. I'll be back in New York on Friday. I know your brother's wedding is this weekend so you're super busy. But if you could call me, I'd really like to hear your voice. I want to give us a shot. If you're willing..."

Beep.

I sighed. There was nothing else I really needed to say. I just had to wait. I walked back into the room. Alina had fallen asleep on the couch. I went over and sat down beside her.

"Did he pick up?" she asked groggily.

"No, he didn't answer."

"Give him some time."

Time was one thing I had a lot of. I had no plans for the rest of the summer. I could wait. Maybe I really would turn into a stalker like Kristen. Because no one in their right mind would call me back after hearing those messages.

Chapter 37

Daphne

My phone ringing made me jump. Oh my God, it's him! I slid my finger across the screen without looking at the caller ID. "Hey!"

Alina groaned in her sleep.

I pulled the phone away from my ear. "Sorry." I slipped out into the hall again. I put the phone to my ear again. My heart was beating so fast. "Hey," I said, a little calmer.

"Hey, Daphne. How's the bachelorette party going?"

I sighed and leaned against the wall. Bryce. It was Bryce. He was probably just calling to see how Alina was. "Hey, Bryce. It's great."

He laughed. "Is everyone still asleep?"

"Um...yeah. Do you want to talk to Alina?"

"No, just come down to the front desk."

"Why?"

But Bryce didn't answer. He had already hung up the phone.

Weird. I was wearing pajama shorts and a tank top. I looked back at the door. There was no reason to change. The only person I cared about impressing was Rob and he wasn't here anymore. And I certainly didn't care what Javier thought about me. He was the most unhelpful concierge in the history of the world. He deserved pajama Daphne. And maybe my ensemble would just scare off anyone so they wouldn't want to come close enough to remove my bracelet. Crap, I have to put another one on today. I'd be stuck with two bracelets and Rob wasn't here to help me.

I walked over to the elevator. Bryce had probably sent Alina flowers. Which was really sweet. They were the cutest couple ever. Or maybe Tim had sent some male strippers. I stepped onto the elevator. That would be hilarious if Alina had to wake up to some guy dancing around the room in a banana hammock. But even that thought didn't make me smile. Rob hadn't called me back. It was morning. He was back in Newark or New York or wherever their jet had taken them. He would have heard my voicemails and gotten all my texts by now. And...nothing. He didn't want to talk to me anymore. I had made such a mess of everything. I sighed and stepped off the elevator.

"Daphne!" Bryce was standing in the middle of the lobby with a huge smile on his face. His shaggy brown hair was sticking to his forehead because of the heat. Tim's hair was still perfectly coiffed somehow and he was leaning on the counter talking to Javier. And Ethan was staring at the activity board with his strong arms folded across his chest. He seemed completely transfixed with the options. I still hadn't looked at it. Maybe there was something weird on it.

I realized I had just been standing there awkwardly staring at all of them. I quickly walked over to Bryce. "Oh my God. What are all you guys doing here?" I didn't mean to sound horrified, but I'm pretty sure it