I stare after the two of them, my heart thundering as they disappear inside the store, holding hands.
“Jesus,” I mutter.
I can’t resist walking over to the store’s giant windows and peering inside. A giant circular fish tank is in the center of the store, and behind it on the wall is a giant poster of a beautiful blonde dripping in diamond jewelry.
Sinclair Beaufort.
Slade’s sister.
The back of my neck grows hot, but I can’t peel my eyes away. Morbid fascination has me standing much longer than I should, spying on the inside of the store. The redhead and little girl have disappeared, and so has Sullivan Beaufort. But the interior still screams Beaufort. Their family is in every item of lavish jewelry, every sumptuous velvet display cushion, every polished inch of sparkling glass in that huge tank.
They’re all over it. Itisthem.The Beauforts.
Only, one member of their family is missing. Gone without a trace.
I turn away, bile burning my throat as his glaring absence hits me like a shot to the temple.
This is where Slade belonged.
That little girl who looked so much like him is his niece.
He’s missing all of it.
This is the family who told the world he was dead, thinking they were saving him. When I know the man they left alone isn’t saved, but rather a lost soul.
One I can’t forget about as easily as they have, no matter how hard I try.
28
JUDE
“That’s the last of it,”I tell Mel as I tie a knot in the top of the trash bag and add it to the pile in the hallway.
“How do you feel?” she asks, surveying the impressive collection with her hands on her hips.
“Good,” I announce with confidence.
“Excellent.” She grins.
“There’s just one thing left.” I pull my phone from the back pocket of my jeans and unblock Callum’s number.
I hit dial, steeling myself mentally for hearing his voice.
“Jude?” he answers, more than a hint of optimism in his tone.
“Callum,” I reply flatly, not caring if I execute it like a fly beneath the sharp whack of a rolled-up newspaper. “We need to talk. Can you come to the apartment?”
“Yeah, of course, of course,” he gushes eagerly. “I’m off shift in an hour, I can come after and?—”
“Great. See you then,” I reply through clenched teeth, ending the call.
“Ooh, savage.” Mel chuckles. “Jaws Jude takes a bite out of the cheating ex.”
I tuck my phone back into my pocket. “Just new and improved Jude refusing to take his bullshit any longer.”
“I like this version of you,” Mel declares.
I toss her a brittle smile. I know what she means. She likes this newer version of me that’s no longer crying inside one of her crushing hugs every day.
