Chapter 49: FORTY-NINE

I had sneaked out while Wade was asleep, I wasn't sure I could deal with the awkwardness after he woke up. Ivan had called me yet again, and I had told him I was on my way. He kept asking what exactly it was I went to get so I decided to stop by the mall to get the bag I've been wanting to buy.

The drive back home felt like an eternity. My thoughts were a tangled mess, the weight of my lies pressing down on me with every passing mile. By the time I pulled into the driveway, it was already dark. I parked and took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves.

When I walked through the door, Ivan was in the living room. He seemed to have been waiting for me, the thought of that got me even more guilty. He turned as I entered, a curious smile on his face.

"Hey," he greeted me, his tone light but with an undercurrent of curiosity. "You were gone so long. What did you go out to get?"