Page 73 of Carte

Carter

I looked out the side window not really seeing anything as we drove.

Fuck, I was whipped.

I haven’t slept in over twenty four hours, but even before that, I could barely get a few hours of shuteye. The bed was too cold, too empty without Harley’s body pressed against mine.

After tossing and turning I eventually got up, and went back to work trying to chase the shadow that was trailing Harley. And once again, it was another dead end.

It was starting to piss me off. This has gone long enough.

I needed to finish it so Harley could breathe free without this threat hanging over her head.

“You okay over there’” Trevor asked.

“Fine. I’m just itching to go back to Harley. She sounded beat down last night. I don’t like the thought of her alone in the eye of that storm.” I said. “I should have never left her.”

My gut tightened just at the memory of her weak tone as she admitted that she felt alone last night. It was like she was scared of showing any weakness. However, the knowledge that she didn’t feel right without me in the same way I felt without her made me want to thump my chest and walk back to her at that moment.

“We’ll be there soon enough,” Trevor said, his eyes on the road.

We were an hour away, but even that felt like a lifetime.

We fell into silence, both of us in our thoughts. I had a feeling Trevor was itching to get back to his life for the same reason I was itching to get back to Harley.

I didn’t pry. I learned the hard way that Trevor liked to keep his cards close to the vest. I respected that about him.

My phone buzzed in the cup holder and I reached out to take it hoping it would be Harley. I hadn’t heard her voice since last night.

Disappointment swirled in my chest

It was an unknown number but I answered it anyway.

“Yeah.”

“Carter, Mr.-Mr. Ryan,” A voice whispered in my ear.

I sat up straight in my seat, fear instantly coiling in my gut, “This is Carter Ryan.”

“I-I’m sorry for calling you, it was hard to get your phone number, but I managed to snag it,” I could barely understand the words. The voice was so quiet.

“Who’s this?” I glanced at Trevor only to see he had his eyes on me.

“Oh, I’m, I’m sorry. This is Jude,” everything in me stilled at the name. “Jude Brown.”

“Why are you calling me, Jude?”

A beep sounded in my ear indicating another call coming through, but I ignored it.

“I know I’m supposed to stay away from Harley. And I promise I am. I’m not going near her. I don’t want to scare her. Not again. I just want to be in her orbit. To be close enough for her light to shine on me. She’s so good, so perfect. She’s a miracle, and she helped me. Her songs helped me. They speak to me. It’s like she’s the one whispering in my ear that I’m good, and that I have worth. But, I’m not bothering her, I promise.”

“Jude,” I barked, trying to break the man from his rant.

“Yes?”

“Why are you calling me? Where are you?”

My vision blurred at the edges, my breath felt sticky. Panic was squeezing its fits around me. And I was powerless to stop it.