Page 145 of First-Time Caller
I go from slouched to sitting straight in an instant, palms pressed to the headphones over my ears like it’ll drag me closer to her. “Maya?”
“Mom! Hi!”
“Hi,” I say, short and clipped. She’s supposed to be doing her science homework, not calling in to radio stations. “I thought I blocked this number on your phone.”
“Don’t worry. This is a supervised call. Dad is sitting right next to me.” There’s a muffled sound from Grayson in the background and I relax. “Everything is fine. How are you doing?”
“I’m—” I glance at Jackson. He’s turned almost completely around in his chair, his face angled away from mine. Secrets, secrets. “I’m confused.”
“Figured you would be,” she quips. “Lots of weird things happening today, huh?”
Jackson chokes on nothing and turns farther away. The man is not good under pressure.
“You could say that.”
“I think there’s something going on with the planetary alignment. Dad was telling me about it in the car this morning.”
“Sure.” I narrow my eyes. “Must be that. Why are you calling in to the radio station right now?”
“Because I need advice.” She pauses. “I had no idea you’d be there. Wow. What a coincidence.”
“Sure.” I can hear Grayson snickering in the background. “What do you need advice about?”
“A friend of mine. He’s been having some trouble.”
“What sort of trouble?”
“I’ll let him tell you about it in a second, but I want to tell you something first.”
“What’s that?”
“I love you.”
My heart grows three sizes in my chest. “I love you too.”
“Okay, good. Remember that, okay? Keep it in the forefront of your mind. I’m gonna hand you off to my friend now. Bye!”
There’s another burst of static as Maya hands her phone to whoever it is that needs advice. I hear some muffled conversation, the slam of a car door, and boots against asphalt.
My lungs feel tight, my pulse hammering in my chest. My heart knows the sounds of him before my head can catch up.
“Hi,” Aiden says, his voice a rough scratch. Goose bumps erupt on my arms like he’s sitting right next to me. Like our knees are tucked together and there’s a pot of coffee on behind us. Like nothing has changed when everything has. He clears his throat, and I can picture him perfectly, standing with his hand cupped around the back of his neck.
“Long-time listener, first-time caller,” he says over the line. There’s a reluctant grin in his voice. It twists his words up at the edges, just like his smile. “I was hoping you could give me some advice.”
AIDEN VALENTINE:Wish me luck, Baltimore.
Questions immediately race through my mind.
Advice about what? Why are you with Maya? Did you mean to call in to your own radio station? Have you hit your head? Is there a bird in your gutter?
Why haven’t you called?
Instead, I settle myself with a deep breath and ask, “How can I help?”
Aiden makes a faint sound on the other side of the phone. Something pleased or relieved. Maybe a combination of both. It’s hard to tell when I can’t see his face.
“Well,” he says. His pause feels like it lasts a lifetime. I wish I brought in the chocolate mints I found in his car. The rumpled-up and well-worn list of things I like, just so I could hold on to some sort of tangible proof that he’s thought about me. Finally, Aiden exhales a sharp breath. “This is a romance hotline, right?”
