The Sound of You **on hold**

Chapter 5

Adelaide

I'm not all that surprised when I don't hear from Dawson on Wednesday. Pauline gave him my number, but really, I fucked up. I feel like such a dick. I wouldn't want to call me either. He's also probably got all kinds of adventures planned that I want nothing to do with anyway. Maybe he's browsing Tinder for another girl to charm. I'm probably not interesting enough for him. I saw my face at work the night before we went to O'Brien's. I know how shitty my skin was. I would be turned off too.

My mind continues to put me down before I catch myself. Addy. Shut the fuck up.

I have worked hard with Dr. Thompson to move past self-sabotage like this. I remind myself that I am a catch. I'm fucking gorgeous. I'm interesting as fuck. I am a badass rapping police dispatcher. I bounce back from all kinds of trauma. With a little pharmaceutical assistance.

My mom comes over for brunch on Thursday and I offer her a chocolate croissant from the box that Simone likely dropped off yesterday. I toss the box in the recycling and pass mom the plate once it's heated.

"Mmm." She moans with her eyes closed. My phone beeps from my bedroom where it's charging and I go to check it. "This is amazing! Where's it from?" She calls.

"I can't remember." I call back, "It's on the box in the bin." I have a text from an unknown number.

What? Don't you like croissants?

I furrow my brow. So it wasn't Simone?

"Uh, Ad?" Mom says, "Is this how a message in a bottle works in 2019?"

I run to the kitchen and take the box from her. On the bottom scrawled in messy writing, Save the last dance for me, and a phone number. My mouth hangs open. I hit my forehead with my palm. Once again, I'm a grade A idiot. Where on God's green earth did he come from? No wonder he waited so long to text me. He was waiting for me to find his message. Looks like he got tired of waiting. I close my gaping mouth and I smile. I ignore my mom's questioning looks and I pull up my phone.

I literally JUST saw your message on the box. Almost missed it. You can thank my mom. They were delicious!

I press send. After a second, I remember how I fell asleep while he waited outside my house.

I'm so sorry about yesterday. Stella wanted cuddles and I passed right out.

"Are you going to tell me why your face looks like that?" Mom says sitting down to her croissant.

I look at her pointedly, "like what?" I run back to my room, plug my phone back in and put it on silent. If Dawson texts back, I don't want my mom reading my face.

"You're trying to hide a smile." She says affectionately, trying to hide her own smile. She sips some hot tea and waits for me to open up. I take a moment to compose myself and veil the emotions playing on my face. I take a couple of deep breaths and huff out the last one.

I sit across from her. "I met a nice guy the other night. He brought these croissants I guess."

"And left you his number? He knows where you live?"

"He gave me and Pauline a ride home." I give her a glare, warning to stop asking questions, because I'm done answering them.

Pauline opens the door with a dozen shopping bags on her arms. Perfect timing.

"Help!" She cries, almost dropping a bag, but not before a bag of rice falls out of it.

"You could just take a couple bags at a time you know."