Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 32770 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32770 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
Me: I got stuck in the storage room in the theater department. Long story will tell you when I meet you. Sorry for being late.
I tuck my phone into my pocket and haul ass to the lunchroom. It’s emptying out when I arrive, and Sadie is nowhere to be found.
I call her, but I’m sent directly to voicemail. Great. She probably thinks I stood her up. I check her schedule and see that she’s supposed to be in an AP class in ten minutes. Smart girl. Probably too smart for me. I burst into the classroom, but hardly anyone is there. The teacher looks up and frowns. She doesn’t recognize me. “I’m here to see Sadie xxx.”
“Sadie? Oh, the new girl. She’s absent today.”
“What do you mean? She was here this morning.”
The teacher shrugs. “Things change.”
“Where is she?”
“I can’t say. It’d be a privacy violation.”
“I live with her. How can it be a privacy thing?”
The teacher raises an eyebrow. “If you live with her, you can ask her yourself.”
I growl in frustration. Who would be at the house at this time? Fischl? I give her a call, but that goes straight to voicemail too. What the hell?
A cold chill seizes me. Is she at the hospital? Are they both there? Frantically, I call my dad. He answers on the second ring. “You need something, son?”
“Yes, is something wrong with Fischl?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because she’s not answering her phone.”
“She took some paid meds, and it knocked her out. I turned off her phone so she wouldn’t be disturbed. What made you call?”
I thrust a frustrated hand through my hair. “Sadie’s not at school, and she’s not answering her phone.”
“Ahh, she’s in her room resting. She called and said her shoulder was hurting.”
“Why didn’t she tell me? I would have driven her home.”
There’s a long pause before Uncle Coop says, “I don’t know why she didn’t come to you, Dunc. I hope you two aren’t having any problems.”
There’s a warning note in his voice, something that tells me I better pick my next words carefully. I grind the back of my teeth before replying, “No problems, sir.”
“Okay, well, I’ll see you home at dinnertime.” And not before are the unsaid words.
CHAPTER 14
SADIE
When my eyes flutter open, I see Dunc standing over me. I can tell he’s pissed.
“Are you watching me sleep?” I yawn while sitting up.
When I got home, Cooper got me into bed, and I passed out. I woke up for a little while to take another round of meds an hour ago and must have nodded off again. The painkillers take the throbbing ache away, but they also knock me on my ass.
“When I’m not watching, you tend to always up and disappear.” Well, it looks like the old Dunc is rearing his head today. What crawled up his butt? I’m the one that should be upset that he stood me up for lunch. Not that we’re a thing or anything. Because we’re not.
“I don’t disappear.” Why is he so concerned with where I am all the time? “That would be pretty cool though if I could.” I could go to school and not be bothered. I try to joke to lighten up the serious atmosphere in the room.
“It’s not fucking cool.” He sits down on the bed next to me.
“Why are you all pissy?” I’ve learned not to beat around the bush with Dunc. Confronting him is the best way to get to the bottom of things.
“We were supposed to have lunch together.” What the heck?
“I didn’t see you.” I’d wanted to. I tell myself to stay away from Dunc, but I don’t want to. I know he has heartache written all over him, but I’m drawn to him. But I know that the fallout from having a relationship with him that didn’t work out would be too much. That after we went up in flames—because at some point we would—there would be no recovery for our little family. I mean, Dunc himself admits he’s an asshole.
“I texted and called you. I got locked in the supply closet.”
“Seriously?” I laugh. He doesn’t. “Like really?” I giggle again, thinking about how mad he must have been in that closet.
“I had to take the door off the hinges.”
“How does one get locked in a supply closet?” I ask, curious as hell to find out what happened. I can’t help but smile again.
“It’s not funny,” Dunc says in his serious tone, which only makes my smile broaden. “I couldn’t find you.”
I try to keep a straight face but fail. “Oh, come on. Even you have to admit that it’s kinda funny.” He tries to quickly hide his smirk, but it’s too late.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll deal with Scully tomorrow.” His hand comes to my chin. “How’s your arm?” I ignore his question 'cause now I’m really curious.