Letting Go Read Online Free PDF Page B

first thing when they stopped for the night. She would explain everything.
    But Jamie beat her to it. Her phone rang again just minutes after they left the gas station. She fished it out of her jacket pocket. She sighed, hoping Harper wouldn’t interfere with their conversation.
    “Hey. ”
    Out of the corner of her eye she saw Harper roll his eyes. She swatted his arm in response and he chuckled.
    “Why did Harper answer your phone earlier?” Isabelle detected a hint of annoyance in Jamie’s voice. She could relate.
    “Mostly, because he’s an idiot. And also because I was in the restroom at a gas station. Sorry.” It wasn’t her fault, but she felt bad about it anyway.
    “Oh. ” Jamie still sounded a bit skeptical.
    “You’re not too shaken up after the incident at the airport?” He changed the topic, and she was grateful.
    She’d missed Jamie the past week. They spoke on the phone every day except for the last two days. He left for Florida on Thursday, and she was asleep early in the evening on Saturday because she had to get up at three to get to the airport on time.
    “ I’m fine, don’t worry about it.”
    “She’s right, you know, she’s in safe hands,” Harper said, and Isabelle cringed. Would he ever learn to respect her privacy? She was beginning to reconsider their friendship.
    Jamie was silent for a moment before he asked, “How’s he treating you?”
    Isabelle glanced at Harper who was smirking at her from behind the wheel. She wasn’t sure whether he’d heard Jamie or not. She sighed. “He’s okay. A jerk, but okay.” She smiled to tone down the insult and Harper smiled back.
    “Sure?”
    “Yeah, don’t worry about me. I’ll be home soon.”
    “Okay. I’ll be home tomorrow evening. See you then. Miss you.” Isabelle imagined his gentle blue eyes and his strong arms hugging her once she got home. She couldn’t wait to see him.
    “Me too.”
    “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
    When she ended the call , she made a big deal out of putting the phone away to avoid Harper’s questions and teasing.
    “He’s worried about you?” he asked when she looked up.
    “I guess.”
    “Because of me?”
    “I guess. Answering my phone was a dick move.”
    To her astonishment, he didn’t say anything more. He nodded and kept driving. Isabelle was still angry and she was pleased that she didn’t have to talk to him.
    Almost half an hour of resentful silence later, they passed a sign for a gas station half a mile ahead. Harper turned to her. “I have to stop to fill up the tank. I didn’t check it earlier, sorry.”
    “Of course, you were too busy messing with my phone.”
    She thought she saw a hint of embarrassment when he grinned.
    “Do you want something to eat?”
    “I’m fine. You can eat if you want,” she added, afraid that he would go hungry because of her.
    “When did you last eat?”
    “I ate.” Apart from the milkshake at the airport, she’d last eaten on the plane over six hours ago but she didn’t want him to think she was hungry because then he’d force her to go eat and she was broke. She wouldn’t want to owe him any more money than necessary.
    “Sure?”
    She nodded.
    “We’ll reach Perry in about half an hour. We’ll get a motel room and continue in the morning.”
    He looked at her for agreement. She wished they could drive straight home. But the weather was horrendous. The road was swimming in front of them and it was pouring again. The white sheets of rain had turned to grey and then black as darkness fell. She couldn’t demand that Harper drive in these conditions in the dark. It was bad enough during daylight.
    “That would be fine. But we’ll get two motel rooms, not a motel room.”
    He c huckled as he pulled up at the gas station.
    Isabelle jumped out to stretch her legs. While Harper filled up the tank, she walked in circles under the tiny piece of roofing over the station.
    “You look like a wild cat in a cage,” Harper called out to her and