Page 67 of Day Break

My aunt Kate gasped. “Oh, no. Was anything valuable taken?”

“Until we can determine that, we need everyone out,” I lied.

“We can help,” Phil suggested.

“No. Grandfather is resting, and we don’t need the noise. Go.” I waved them towards the door again. “We’ve got this.”

“It was probably that girl,” Reba said under her breath as she turned to go.

I wanted to argue, to tell them that I was with Chloe all night, but they didn’t even deserve the breath. Instead, I locked the front door behind them, thankful that they hadn’t put up too much of a fight.

I had heard my cousin complain about what they were going to do for breakfast, which made me smile.

“Lane?” Chloe said from the stairs.

“They’re gone.” I stopped at the base of the stairs and waited until she stood next to me.

“I… I think I know what they were looking for,” she said, glancing at the shut front door.

“What?” I asked with a frown.

She glanced once more upstairs, then took my hand. I followed her through the house, outside, and back up the stairs to her room.

“Here,” she said, opening the drawer of her nightstand.

I stood there in complete shock as she produced a small red leather book. I’d seen Sherry writing in others just like it, years ago.

“Where did you get this?” I asked, taking it from her hands.

“I found it the other day, hidden under the floorboards of her closet.” Chloe bit her bottom lip.

My first inclination was to be pissed. My second was more rational. I was thankful. Thankful I now had it in my hands and that it was safe. My third thought had my stomach twisting.

I sat on the edge of the bed that we’d shared last night and just stared at the book. For her entire life, the one thing Sherry had stood against was me getting my hands on her diary.

How would my sister feel if she knew I had it now? My stomach turned at the thought, but I had to know what was in there.

“I didn’t mean to disrespect…” Chloe started, but I jerked my gaze up to her.

“You didn’t. I mean, Sherry’s gone.” I held out the book. Chloe frowned and shook her head. “Take it. Please.”

“Why?” she asked, sitting beside me.

I set the book down between us, not wanting it in my hands to temp me any further.

Of course, I wanted to read it. But my respect for my sister was greater than that desire.

“Sherry would hate to know that I’d read her private moments,” I said, not looking at Chloe. “You read it. Keep it safe.” I looked into her eyes. “Let me know if there’s anything in there… I should know.” I swallowed the guilt and the worry that my sister knew ahead of time what was going to happen to her. That she’d been afraid. For some reason, it seemed better that she’d been blindsided. “Please. I… don’t think I could stand to read it myself.”

Chloe searched my eyes and then gently picked up the book and set it in her lap.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Don’t go back to sleep.”

- Rumi

Chloe