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Someone was shouting at me through my phone, but all I could hear was the silence as it dawned on me what I’d witnessed.
Declan Tierney was dead.
Inmybed and breakfast.
And not just dead.
As far as I knew, you didn’t randomly drop dead into a pool of your own blood.
Usually, if you were that kind of dead, it was because someone else had a hand in it.
“Charlotte?” a vaguely familiar voice cut through my thoughts, but I couldn’t focus.
My chest burned, my nerves were on fire, and my stomach hurt with each heaving breath I took.
“Charlotte, it’s okay. You’re fine,” that same voice said soothingly. “It’s Jamie—Jamie Donovan. Do you remember me from when we were kids?”
I nodded, looking up. My eyes were watering, making my vision blurry, but I vaguely recognised him.
I knew the black-and-white uniform.
Police.
“Good. There’s an ambulance on the way, but I need you to start calming down for me, okay?” he continued talking in a calm, quiet voice. “I know it’s hard, but can you try breathing on my count for me?”
I nodded.
“One…”
I inhaled.
“Two...”
Exhaled.
“Three…”
In.
“Four…”
Out.
We kept going, even though I occasionally stumbled, and my breathing hitched back to the quick, uncontrollable panting of a few minutes ago. I didn’t know how long it took, but eventually it slowed to a normal level, and I was able to focus again.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered, wiping under my eyes. “I—I found—”
“Shh, it’s okay. Just focus on staying calm for me, all right?” He smiled warmly, and I was hit with a flash of a memory of a boy I once knew.
Tall and gangly like teen boys sometimes were, with a shock of dark blond hair, looking sadly at me as he took my rejection.
Sigh.
“You’re the police,” I mumbled.
Jamie smiled. “Sure am. Are you feeling a little better? There’s an ambulance on its way.”
“I’m fine. I don’t need an ambulance.” I brushed my cheeks and tried to get up, but my legs were weak, and I stumbled.
