up all night

It was so late. Dakota knew she should be asleep by now. She checked her Hello Kitty phone, It was going on midnight.

She hadn't had dinner at her father's place until really late.

"Oh, come on." Her dad told her it wasn't that late. Still, she wasn't to tell Xander about that.

Liv looked so tired.

"What are you doing to her?" Dakota was certain her father didn't let her sleep.

"Look, everyone has been getting sick lately." Her dad told her it was the weather and all those germs, out and about.

"I think, you, have something to do with it." She was cross with him. She hoped she heard from Xander soon, but according to her phone call from Sunny..there was a certainty that Xander would spend the night at the hospital.

Dakota had been left on the floor of the livingroom in a sleeping bag. It was cold. Her dad didn't like the heat on too high when he slept.

Honestly, Dakota was completely miserable. She reached for her flip phone.

I DON'T LIKE IT HERE.

She sent Xander the text.

Immediately, he replied.

WHAT HAPPENED?

She pressed her lips tight, feeling she'd started something she shouldn't have.

I MISS YOU

This was true. It was a sad fact that she wanted Xander over Joey. She felt her heartbeat tighten. Wishing it wasn't true, but it was.

I MISS YOU, TOO.

It was comfort to know Xander knew the right thing to text. She'd thought she could move back in with her father and Liv, but she didn't know if she was ready yet.