Page 53 of The Sweet Talker
I take the bag from the knob and my heart jumps into my throat when I see my phone inside. My chest squeezes so tight, it’s hard to breathe, and no longer able to stand, I sink to the ground, the cold wet snow seeping through my pajama bottoms, but I’m too numb to feel anything.
I pull the phone out, and as if sensing my distress, sweet Mabel sits beside me, nudging me with her chin. Tears flood my eyes as I carefully, tentatively turn the phone on. It lights up and a big hiccupping sob crawls out of my throat. Mabel whines and moves closer, putting her head on my lap. My lungs seize, and I stop breathing when I open my messages and find the voicemail from Jon.
“Oh, God,” I murmur. Mabel whines again, as if to encourage me, and I glance up at the sky, take a deep, full breath to gather my courage and press play.
“Josie, hey.” As soon as I hear Jon’s voice my tears fall harder, and I press pause. I hold the phone tight, not sure if I can continue but Mabel nudges me.
“Okay, girl.”
I hit play again, and close my eyes, nothing existing or mattering, but Mabel and Jon’s message.
“I’m not doing so great, babe.” His voice is quiet and weak, barely audible from the background beeps. “They have to do surgery. Internal bleeding. I uh…I love you.”
My throat squeezes so tight, it aches, and tears drip down my nose and cheeks, freezing on my skin. “Jon,” I murmur. “I love you too.”
“Babe, I’m not sure I’m going to be okay.” He gives a soft laugh. “If I don’t come out of this, I need you to be strong. We talked about having a family. I want you to do that, babe. I want you to find someone who makes you happy, someone who will love you the way I do. I want you to chase all your dreams.” The background beeps come faster, more erratic, and the message ends abruptly.
I hug my phone to my heart, and let the tears fall freely. I’m sad, horrifically sad, but hearing his voice again, his words, brings a new kind of warmth to my heart, mending the last open crevice that prevented me from moving forward—the way Jon wants me to. I sit there for what feels like forever, until the sound of snow crunching beneath someone’s boots reaches my ears. I glance up, just as Mabel jumps to all fours. I reach for her leash, but I’m too late. She’s running and barking, her tail going crazy as Brody comes around the corner and goes completely still when he sees me sitting on the ground.
“Josie,” he says quickly, worry all over his face. He glances at the phone, and sucks in a breath. “Are you okay?”
“I’m not…but I am.” I run my finger over the phone. “Thank you for this.”
“Declan knew a guy. He fixed it.”
I nod, go quiet for a long time, then say, “I appreciate that.”
He jerks his thumb over his shoulder. “Do you want me to leave?”
I go quiet again, thinking about what I want. All along, I knew Brody was one of the good guys, which is why it hurt so much to think he went through my phone. He didn’t seem the type, which is why it gutted me, but if there is one thing I know, life is short and precious, and not everyone gets a second chance. In my heart, I still can’t believe he didn’t feel more for me. His passionate kisses, his tender, loving touch…how could that not have been real?
“Why are you here?”
“I’m sorry. I know you said you never wanted to see me again, but I forgot to put your Christmas present in the bag.”
“This was the best Christmas present,” I say and tuck my phone into my pocket. “I don’t need anything else.” That’s not true. I need a lot. From the man standing before me.
“I wanted you to have this.” He produces a hat similar to his, but with a pink pompom. Despite everything, I laugh.
“What did you do?”
“I got hold of Wes’s mother, and asked her to make one for you. We couriered it so you’d have it for Christmas.”
My heart swells, aches with all the things I feel for this man. I pat the ground. “Come sit.”
Snow crunches and Mabel stays right at his heels as he closes the distance between us and sits. He puts the hat on my head and takes my hand. “You listened to Jon’s message.”
I nod. “Yeah.”
He falls quiet leaving me to my own thoughts. After a long while, he breaks the silence. “I never went through your phone. I thought about it. But I’m not that guy.”
“No, you’re not.”
“You believe me?”
“Yeah, I do.”
He exhales, and a puff of white cloud forms in front of his handsome face.