Page 156 of Only Ever You

“Where is your phone?”

“In my pocket.”

“Is it on?” he asks, his tone clipped.

I frown. “It’s on Do Not Disturb. Why?” I’d forgotten, but the point was to have uninterrupted time with Isla, and that’s exactly what I got.

“Your dad called. Said he couldn’t get ahold of you. Your agent called next, since he couldn’t find you either.”

Cold dread spreads down my spine. “Did something happen?”

“Call your agent, Michael.” With that, he ends the call.

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

goodbye for now

MICHAEL

Twenty years old

I pull my phone out of my pocket and turn off Do Not Disturb. In my call log, I discover five missed calls from Pablo and three from my dad. It’s cold outside, but the anxiety coursing through me has my body temperature skyrocketing. Eyes squeezed shut, I rub at my brow. The churning in my stomach makes me wonder if I should head back inside or throw up right here in the parking lot.

“Michael?” Isla’s voice is soft, hesitant.

Blinking, I look down to where Isla has placed her hand over my heart. “Huh?”

“You okay?” She tilts her head to the side, watching me intently.

“I don’t know. Why would my agent be looking for me so late in the day? What if the Phantoms changed their mind?”

A small, reassuring smile pulls at her lips. “They haven’t. But you won’t believe it until you call him back.”

I shake my head. “I just…” I rock back on my heels, my insides practically quivering.

“How about we go to the dorms? You can call him back from your room. Or we can go to mine.”

With a dip of my chin, I blow out a loud breath. “Will you stay with me?”

“Of course.”

She stands on her tiptoes and cuffs the back of my neck, pulling my face down. When her warm lips connect with mine, some of the tension holding my body hostage dissipates. I wrap my arms around her waist, erasing the distance between us. My tongue slides into her mouth and curls around hers in a frenzied motion. Kissing her anchors me, and right now, it’s exactly what I need.

More than just right now, because I’m pretty sure I’ll need her and her perfect mouth forever.

Foreheads pressed against each other, breaths mingling, we stand in the parking lot. I know we should leave, but I can’t make myself let her go.

“Let’s go,” she tells me. “The sooner you make that call, the sooner you’ll have answers.”

I snort, my breath catching. “What if he wants to tell me that⁠—”

With a finger pressed to my lips, she shuts me up. “There is no sense in letting your mind run wild. We’re not going to make assumptions or consider what-ifs. We’re going straight to your room, and then you’ll call your agent. Okay?”

A little of the lightness that infiltrated me in the locker room returns. “Yes, ma’am.”

She playfully swats my chest and then steps back. “See you there. The last one inside the building makes hot chocolate and scrounges up snacks.”

I round my car, unlocking it in the process. “I hope you have snacks in your room, because there’s no way I’m coming last.”