Page 56 of Be My Valentine

Sarah Donovan held her close.

“Tell me.”

And Kate obeyed.

“We’ll return the money and the dress and of course this coat.” Her mother reassured her.

“I’ll take care of everything on Monday. I’ll have to find a place to go for a few days. I’m sure he’ll get tired soon. We’ll sort it out quickly.” She said more to herself than to her mother.

The screech of a brake caught her by surprise. Mark’s voice came through the door. He had already arrived.

“Kate!” He yelled.

“Go upstairs, I got this.”

Kate stopped at the bottom of the stairs. She wanted to listen.

“Mrs. Donovan, please. Let me talk to her.”

“She doesn’t want to see you, Attorney Arrow, and I’m not going to force her.”

“Kate!” Mark’s desperate voice made her jolt. Her mother, however, maintained a placid calm.

“You need to leave and don’t come back, or I’ll call the police, I’m warning you.”

“She can’t stay in there forever!”

“No, indeed. My daughter won’t be here long. Don’t you dare have her tailed, or I swear I’ll report you.” Sarah Donovan slammed the door. Kate tightened her eyes.

Now she needed to disappear for a while. To go where?

Chapter 21 / Mark

Something only happens if you really believe in it,

and it’s believing in it that makes it happen.

(F.L. Wright)

Mark locked himself in his apartment and emptied the bar cabinet. He drank himself into a stupor. He didn’t return his sister’s or his parents’ calls.

Late Sunday afternoon, Phil Cannon knocked repeatedly on his door; Emma must have forced him to come over. Of course, he didn’t open it for him.

A splitting headache wished him good morning on Monday morning. He barely made it to the bathroom and vomited until only the twisting of his guts remained. The signs of the weekend were clear on his face. He tried to make up for it by showering and shaving, but the circled eyes and gray complexion could not be hidden. He could not even lurk under Kate’s house; her mother’s determination had been palpable: he was sure she would have really called the police if she had seen him around.

When he arrived at the office, he stood motionless in front of the glass door.

Annie Carson was there, as if nothing had happened.

He entered without giving her a glance and went to his desk. The woman joined him a few seconds later.

“Good morning. Don’t you look good, can I get you a coffee?”

Mark looked at her, furious.

“How can you act like nothing happened?”

“Oh, Mark, you’ll thank me one day.”