AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Elizabeth heard movement in the background before the line went dead. She felt sick and swallowed thickly, taking a moment to get her bearings before locking up the house. She sat behind the wheel of her Jeep for a few minutes and took several deep, calming breaths, then forced herself to get moving. She had to go to work.
Two hours into her workday, she briefly entertained calling Will again, but stopped herself.A woman answered his phone. It was just after four thirty in the morning in California when she called. There was only one reason why a woman would be in his room and answering his phone at that time of the morning. She thought about what Caroline had said about Richard's stepsister, and her chest tightened.
Work. Focus on work.
The next time she looked at the clock, it was noon. Thankfully the day was passing quickly, and when she was just about to go outside for lunch, she took her phone from her purse—she’d purposely kept it tucked away all morning—and noticed a text from Will.
Are you okay? I worried when I didn't hear from you this morning. I almost called, but wondered if you stayed home from work. Didn’t want to disturb you if you’re resting. I have a hangover. It was a late night, and the end of it is a little fuzzy. Looks like LA is definite. I'm getting my ticket changed so I can fly out of LAX. But I’ll be home to spend the Fourth with you. Call or text later. Miss you.
Elizabeth read his message three times. The end of his night was fuzzy, he said.How fuzzy?Had he been sofuzzythat he’d taken Anne to his room? Slept with her? He wasn’t even aware Elizabeth had called him this morning. Of course—he was sleeping, right? He’d probably checked his phone to see if he had any missed calls, but he wouldn’t have one…because her call was answered.
By a woman.
* * *
Much later in the day,she woke with a start. She’d lain down as soon as she got home from work and had conked out instantly. She’d turned her phone off, knowing Will would call or text again when he didn’t hear from her, and Jane would probably call about tonight. But she hadn’t wanted to talk to anyone, especially Will, until she slept. It was almost six now, and she took a deep breath, letting the fog clear from her head.
This is it. This is what she’d been afraid of since day one. She was an infatuation for him, and that was all. The novelty had worn off. Maybe she was just another Cape girl, as Caroline said. Maybe he'd gotten tired of the chase, or maybe he’d decided to occupy his time with someone else while he was in the midst of the chase. Here, on the Cape, he hadn't been tempted by anyone else; he wasn't out socializing, he wasn't out there seeing what he was missing and what he could be having.
She needed to call Jane. Her sister was probably wondering where she was, and Elizabeth wanted to talk to her, but knew it would be tricky with Caroline still around. She turned on her cell phone, and it chimed repeatedly with missed calls and text messages. She sighed as she started to read through them.
The first text from Will had come at four o'clock, just as she’d left work.
Are you there?
* * *
“I just don't get it,”Will said, as he and Richard sat at a table in the hotel bar.
“Get what?” Richard asked.
“Elizabeth. I haven’t heard back from her at all.”
“Maybe she finally came to her senses and dumped your ass.”
“Shut up.” Will sighed and glanced at his watch. It was nearing three o’clock, which meant it was almost six at home. “Maybe she's working late.”
“She could be.” Richard smirked. “Man, I’ve never seen you concerned about not hearing from a woman. Usually youprefernot to hear from them. And you won't make a text magically appear by staring at your phone. Something's obviously come up. Maybe she still feels like shit, or got into an accident.”
Will glared at his cousin. “Really, Richard? I can’t believe those words just came out of your mouth.”
Richard cringed and held up one hand. “Shit. I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry. I was only—”
“Richard.”
“I know. Shut up. But we need to get going. We’re meeting with senior staff at two thirty, and I'm desperate for some aspirin or something. My head is pounding.”
“Where did you disappear to last night, anyway? One minute you were there, then you got a call and you split.”
“I went to see a friend.”
“Awful late to visit a friend, wasn't it? Who is she?”Lauren Jeffries?
Richard shrugged. “No one special.”
Will didn't believe it for a minute. If it was truly no one special, Richard would have been bragging about his activities in a heartbeat. After one last glance at his phone he tucked it into his jacket pocket, his thoughts already back on Elizabeth.
