AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He leaves me again as I blow my nose into tissue after tissue while he sets a glass of water in front of me. Pull it together, Sage. Regain composure.
“Are you hurt?”
He scans me up and down. Probably looking for an injury. Or signs of a recent surgery.
I blot my eyes with a fresh tissue and choke out between sobs, “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. Just give me a minute.”
“Sage Watson.” He says my name like he can’t believe I’m in his home. And I can’t blame him. He was best friends with my older brother. Not me. “Take your time. Whatever’s wrong, I’m here, okay?”
A weight hangs over my shoulders, a weariness that I recognize as exhaustion. A part of me wants to curl up on his sofa and sleep for days. But no. I didn’t drive here to sleep.
“Someone bad…” My nose drips, and I swipe it with another tissue.
“You want some water?” He pushes the glass closer to me, urging me to take a drink, while I focus on my breathing.
Where to start? “Sloane’s missing.” My throat’s dry, and I reach for the glass, gulping the cool tap water down. The light taste is a welcome change from the syrupy, caffeine-loaded sodas I’ve been forcing down on my cross-country trek.
“What do you mean, missing?”
“Sam.” He blinks at my brother’s name. Any sign of a boyish, friendly expression evaporates. “He left me instructions. Explicit instructions. He said if I’m ever in trouble, or in danger, to come to you.”
“And you think Sloane’s in danger?”
I’m not making sense. I lean over my thighs and close my eyes. Breathe. In and out. The worn-out hardwood floors have a million dark black lines scratched into the golden strips of wood.
“I’m sorry.” I press my palm against my forehead. The skin is warm, but not hot. “I’m way too sleep deprived. But…” I close my eyes. Just get it together.
“Did you drive here?”
I nod. “Six days. Cross-country.”
“You had my address?”
“I didn’t.” My eyes burn. I close them. Focus. “I drove to San Diego. To the address on my Christmas card list. The one Sam left for me. Your neighbor told me you didn’t live there anymore. So I called your Mom.”
“You drove from North Carolina to California?”
I sink back into the sofa, eyes still closed. The burning sensation underscores how tired I am. “You’re going to think I’m crazy.” The break-in might not be connected to Sloane. Or it could be. But why would someone come after a kindergarten teacher? “Someone broke into my house, and Sloane hasn’t answered any texts or calls in almost two weeks.”
“Did the person hurt you?”
“No. I escaped. But Sloane…”
“Where did you see her last?” He sits on the edge of the sofa, leaning forward, as if straining to hear me. Because I’m not making any sense. None of this makes sense.
“She’s been in the Cayman Islands.” I half-expect him to give me the same attitude others had. Other people who didn’t know Sloane. “She’s been doing research. For a small research company.”
“What kind of research?”
“Cellular regeneration. Sloane moved to the Caymans about eighteen months ago. But she’s disappeared. I finally reached someone within her company, and they said she resigned, but I know she didn’t. She wouldn’t just…” I should’ve stayed home and made more phone calls. Maybe contacted my state senator. But when the man with a gun broke into my house, my instincts said to follow Sam’s instructions. To do exactly what Sam told me to do.
“It’s okay. Take your time.”
My fingers quiver uncontrollably. Is it my blood sugar?
“She missed our scheduled call. And I’ve sent countless emails. Texts. Voice messages, not that she listens to those, but she’d see the missed calls.”
“And she hasn’t returned your calls?”
