Page 100 of Between the Lines

I can’t live without her.

39

Fia

Idrop the grocery bag in my trunk, giggling at the strawberry Pop-Tarts box on top. It’s not like I could pass up the opportunity to grab Caden’s guilty pleasure. After everything he’s done for me, it’s a simple gesture.

Maybe he’ll find it super odd, but nothing about the last week has been normal.

For instance, the first week I was dating Brett, I sat by my phone, hoping and praying he’d call me, ask me to go out. At night I’d wait until he got off work, just to see a text from him. It was agonizing.

But Caden doesn’t make me wait; he’s right there when I need him. How can it be that the grumpy guy turned out to be my prince charming?

He’s almost too good to be true.

“You know what,” I say way too loudly as I shut the trunk. Daisy gives me a drooly grin, happily gripping a pouch of yogurt bites as she sits in the shopping cart. “I think he’ll like the Pop-Tarts. It’s silly and random, like your mama.” The woman unloading her groceries at the car next to me glances at us, probably thinking I’m having some type of breakdown.

It’s the opposite. I think I’m having an upward spiral?

I woke up in Caden’s arms . . . his incredibly buff, warm, arms. Granted it was 6:00 AM, and I woke up to Daisy crying because she couldn’t find her pacifier, but nonetheless, it was an incredible night.

It might be clinically alarming how many times I’ve replayed all of it in my head.

When I click the buckle into Daisy’s car seat, I lean in to nuzzle her little button nose. She giggles, and my whole heart calms. Knock on wood, her teething episode seems to be done, and though her nap schedule is starting to waver, she’s totally adjusted to being in a new space.

Hamburger will never adjust, but I’ve been trying to placate him with extra treats.

We sit there in the parking lot for a moment to cool down as I plug my phone into the dash and wait for it to power on. Caden brought it to me as I was about to head out the door—apparently I left it in his living room before we ran out into the storm last night. Who can blame me for forgetting all about it? And when he handed it to me, it was dead, so I just threw it in my purse.

“You know what . . . we might have time to swing by the house. Just take a tiny peek,” I say to Daisy, who’s rubbing her eyes. It’s almost nap time, but my house is on the way back to Caden’s. It would add an extra three minutes, tops. I know Caden wanted to wait for it to be a big surprise, but I can still pretend to be surprised. It’s just a roof.

My phone powers on and immediately starts pinging with alerts.

“Shit.”

I start swiping through them.

Penny called me twice last night, and texted me three times this morning. The latest text from a half hour ago.

Penny: Didn’t hear back from you, you’re worrying me, everything okay?

I begin to text her back, but another text pops up.

Penny: Okay, officially freaked out, I’m coming by your house.

My heart drops into my ass, and I grip the steering wheel, the phone falling into my lap. “No, no, no,” I gripe and text Penny back feverishly.

Fia: I’m fine! My phone was just dead, so sorry!

Seconds later three dots appear.

Penny: OMG you brat, I was worried sick. I’m already near the house, you home?

Fia: I’m actually at the grocery store.

Everything is spiraling, my fingers are shaking, my throat tightening with every passing second.

Penny: That’s fine, I have something I picked up for Daisy. I’ll leave it on the front porch.