Page 182 of Older
With a hard swallow, I pushed inside, closing the door behind me and pocketing my keys. I studied her, lost for words. Having no clue why she’d be here.
It had to be an emergency.
Whitney or Ladybug.
Fear creeped into my bones as the color drained from my face. “What happened?”
She frowned, her eyes narrowing. “A lot has happened.”
“Did someone get hurt?”
“Yes.”
My eyes assessed her from toes to top before I realized she wasn’t talking about physical injury. I stepped forward, my throat fizzing with stinging heat. “What are you doing here?”
She looked away. “I don’t know. Mom said you were depressed. She was giving me a guilt trip.”
“I’m not depressed.” I was.
“No?” Slowly, her gaze found me again, still devoid of the glimmering light I craved. “Never mind, then. False alarm.”
When she moved to stand, I whipped forward, extending my hand. “No. Wait. I don’t want you to go.”
“It was stupid to come.”
“We can talk through it.”
“Words won’t help.” She picked at the sleeve of her fuzzy ivory sweater. “I just wanted to make sure you weren’t about to down a bottle of pills or something.”
My brows pinched together. “I’m not suicidal.”
She shrugged. “Cool. I’ll let Mom know.” Tara remained seated, still fidgeting with her sweater, her feet tapping in opposite time.
I crossed my arms, my heart pounding with hope. She hadn’t seen my new condo yet, but I’d left a key for her with Whitney, wishing one day she’d walk through the door and fall into my arms again. “You were worried about me,” I decided, unable to keep the sliver of warmth out of my voice.
A huff fell out like bitterness. “Don’t get all excited. I just don’t want to see you dead.”
“Thanks.”
“I should’ve had Mom check on you.”
Hesitantly, I crossed the room, idling a few feet away from her. “But you didn’t. You came.”
Another apathetic shrug.
I scratched at my hair and sighed. “Talk to me. Tell me what’s on your mind. We can get through this. We can?—”
“Did you see her?”
My throat closed up, a line of sweat forming on my hairline. “Yes.”
“And?”
“And nothing. I had to fly in and meet with the architect and contractors.”
“Convenient.”
“Necessary.”