Page 82 of Freak Show

I looked at it and saw Simi’s name on the screen.

Had it been anyone else, I might not have answered it.

But Simi was pregnant, and she’d just had a hell of a time of it.

I wouldn’t be ignoring her call.

Had I known how the call was going to go, I might’ve changed my mind, however.

I knew the days would come to an end, of course.

I mean, I only had a month. I knew that going in.

But it’d only been two weeks that I’d spent with Slone. Two freaking fantastic weeks.

But why did the thought of leaving Slone behind feel like a rock hanging like a noose around my heart?

“You know that I wouldn’t be calling and asking if it wasn’t important.” Simi sighed. “I know that you use this month to regroup and try to find the desire to come back…but I physically can’t get out of the bed.”

I rubbed the back of my neck. “I’ll get on the first flight out.”

“Thank you,” she sighed. “And I swear to God, I’ll make this up to you.”

Doubtful.

Eventually, she’d have the baby. And that would give her another six weeks off.

I know that, if push came to shove, she’d do the same for me if the need arose. But that didn’t change the fact that I was ending my vacation early and leaving Slone in California where the weather was perfect, we were having daily sex—okay, maybe daily was understating it—and I had no worries or problems in life beyond what I was going to have to eat for that day.

“I took the liberty of finding you a flight,” she said when I didn’t answer.

Of course, she did.

I looked through the glass at Slone who was busy making some sort of smoothie for his post-workout and felt my stomach drop.

So this was it.

“Okay, send me the flight info, and I’ll get there as soon as I can.”

“You’re leaving,” he said, eyes intense as he watched me.

“Yes,” I said.

“When?” he asked, sounding upset.

My watch buzzed and glanced down at it to see my flight info.

“In an hour and a half,” I groaned.

“That’s just enough time to get to the airport and get checked in.” He looked horrified.

Not as horrified as I felt, though.

There was no time for a goodbye…

“Yeah.” I felt my eyes fill with tears.

“Fuck,” he said as he came to me and started to wipe the tears that’d slipped from my eyes. “It’s okay.”