He didn’t, but she wouldn’t say that. Instead, she whispered, “I love you, Benji. I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry? For what?”
“For all of this,” she said, and as he went to say more, she hung up.
And felt nothing but complete and utter heartbreak.
What had she just done?
When Benji got home, for some reason, he was convinced that Lucy would still be there.
She wasn’t.
Neither was Angie.
Not that he assumed she would be, but it still hurt to find she wasn’t. Thankfully, though, all their things were still there that they didn’t take to Florida with them. Lucy’s boots were in the corner where she had left them last week. Angie’s hockey set was all over the place, and while the mess made his eye twitch, it was their mess.
His family’s.
Or so he still hoped. He didn’t have a clue what was going on, but he was going to find out. One way or another. Looking down at his phone, he swallowed hard and dialed her number. She had been ignoring his calls. It had been two hours since the last time he’d called since it took him that long to fly in from New York. Instead of calling as soon as he landed, he figured he’d check the house first. But as soon as he pulled up and found her car gone, he knew she wasn’t there.
Hitting her number, he waited as it rang and then her voice came over the line. “Are you home?”
“I am. You’re not, though. Did you make it there okay?”
“Yeah, about an hour ago. Angie is already in bed.”
“Oh, I’m sure she’s exhausted,” he said and it irritated him. Why were they making stupid idle chitchat?
“Yeah. We both are.”
Swallowing hard, he said, “I can fly out tomorrow.”
“Don’t.”
Letting out a long breath, he ran his hand down his face. “Why not, Lucy?”
“’Cause I need to think.”
“About what, baby? Please, I’m dying here. Let me help you fucking think,” he yelled, hating that word. “I don’t know what I did, how to make it better. Please, give me something here.”
“You did nothing, Benji, I promise. I just need to think through some things. I’m going to be working. It just doesn’t make sense.”
“It made sense a month ago when you wanted me to go. When Angie and I planned to make a mermaid castle. I mean, shit, Lucy, what changed?”
His heart was pounding so hard, he was sure it was going to come out of his chest and melt right in front of him. He had never sweated like he was at that moment because, as much as she said she wasn’t breaking up with him, he truly believed she was, and he didn’t understand. This wasn’t her. She wasn’t one to hold back on anything. What in the living hell happened?
“I just need—”
“I swear to God, if you say ‘time’ one more fucking time, I’m going to lose it. What you need is for me to come down there, wrap my arms around you, and then you tell me what is wrong so we can fucking fix it together. That’s what you need.”
“You don’t know that.”
“No, I fucking do,” he stressed, feeling like he was already losing it. “Do you hear my voice, Lucy? I’m dying here. I miss you. I miss Angie. I want to be with my family.” That was when a sob left her lips and her soft cries filled the line. Closing his eyes, his heart just shattering in his chest, he whispered, “Lucy, baby, please, tell me what to do here.”
“Stay home,” she cried. “Just stay there. I’ll see you in a few days.”
And then the line went dead.
“Fuck!” he screamed, his ears rattling as he covered his face with his hands. Should he just fly down there? But he didn’t even know where Jace lived. “Fuck.”
Letting his head fall back, he swallowed hard and picked his phone up once more. “Bro, tell me you know what’s wrong with your sister?”
Jayden paused. “Um. No? I thought you guys were leaving for Florida?”
“She left without me.”
“What? What happened?”
“I don’t fucking know. She says she needs time.”
“For what?”
“I don’t know, Jayden! Have you not heard anything? Your family is one big grapevine.”
Jayden’s voice was full of worry as he said to Baylor, “Mom tell you anything about Lucy?”
“No, what’s wrong?”
“I have no clue,” he said into the phone. “Let me call my mom.”
“No, I will,” Benji said and he hung up, dialing Autumn’s number. It was late, but thankfully, she answered. “Have you talked to Lucy?”
“No? Why? Is she okay? Are you guys engaged?”
He fucking wished. “No, Autumn, she left for Florida—without me. Claiming she needs time. I don’t know what is going on.”
“What in the world? No. I don’t know anything. Let me call her.”
“No,” he said quickly. That wasn’t what he wanted. “She’ll get pissed that I called you. I just was hoping maybe you knew something.”
“No, sweetheart, I don’t, but I’m still calling her,” she said and then the line went dead.