Broken Glass by Tabitha Freeman Read Free Book Online Page B

wrapped my arms around his neck, giving him a squeeze.
                  “I love you,” I said, kissing his cheek. “Be careful, okay?”
                  “All right,” he smiled, giving me a soft kiss on my lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.” He got up and headed out of the room.
                  “Call me when you get down there!” I called after him.
                  “Okay!” he yelled back and I heard the front door of my apartment shut.
     
     
                  He called me when he arrived in Raleigh that afternoon, and then he also called me again that night when they’d finished their show. It’d gone great, he told me, and they hoped to get some calls the next week about signing on to another bigger record label in Orlando, Florida.
     
                  They headed back up to Virginia the next afternoon and Tyson called me as they were driving out.
     
                  “I’ll call you when we get into town,” he promised. “My guess is that we’ll be home around nine tonight.”
                  “Okay,” I said. “I love you, Tyson. You’re staying with me tonight, right?”
                  “You know it,” he replied and I laughed because I could somehow just see the sly smile on his face.
                  “Be careful,” I said. “Tell Pete to drive safe.”
                  “Hey, Pete, Ava says to drive like an old man,” Tyson said to Pete. I heard Pete laugh, along with Kemper and Dean, Tyson’s other band mates.
                  “What do we say to that, boys?” Tyson asked. And then, in unison, they all chanted,
                  “Hey, it’s all gravy, baby!”
     
                  “Have fun ,” I replied, laughing. “I’ll see you tonight.”
                  “Okay,” Tyson said. “Love ya, honey.”
                  “I love you, too. Bye.”
     
                  Less than two minutes later, I received a text message on my cell phone from Tyson:
     
    Couldn’t say in front of the guys. I luv u
    sooooo much, Ava, & I always will, no matter
    what happens. I’ll always be here. I luv u
    infinity + 1
     
     
    Nine o’clock rolled around that night without my even realizing it. I was so into a paper I was writing for my English class that when Cassie came into the room and told me it was ten already, I almost didn’t believe her.
    “Wasn’t Tyson supposed to be here at nine?” Cassie asked me.
    “Yeah, he was,” I replied, sighing, an d turning off my computer. “ I’ve been working on this paper so long, I lost track of time. Oh, and my phone’s in the bedroom. I hope he hasn’t called and I missed it.” 
    “I’m going over to Trevor’s,” Cassie said then. “Listen, if you need anything, just call me, okay? And I wouldn’t worry about Tyson. He’s probab ly just running a little behind because of traffic or something.”
    “Yeah,” I said. “I’ll call him. Have fun, Cass.” She left then and I went to my bedroom and got my cell phone out of my purse. I had one missed call from Tyson at around 8:15 p.m. I dialed his number. His voicemail picked up. I waited about ten minutes and called him again. I got his voicemail. I repeated this same routine for the next ten minutes and got his voicemail every time. It was ten-thirty. I was getting worried.
    I called Pete. No answer on his phone, either. So I called the other guys in the band, Kemper and Dean. No answer.
    So, totally in a panic, I called Jake. He actually answered. I asked him if he’d heard from Tyson.
    “Yeah,” he told me. “He called at around 8:30, I think. Said he was coming by here to pick up the El C amino and then head to your place. He said he tried to call you, too, but you didn’t pick up.”
    “So he hasn’t come by yet?” I asked, chewing nervously on my bottom