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Adalyn chews on her lip, a habit I noticed she does when she’s nervous.
“You don’t think that’s odd? Out of the blue? And what does that even mean?” I ask, my worry only skyrocketing more.
Addy gives a small shake of her head. “Well, no. Andrew broods and mulls things over sometimes. He was probably thinking about old things and started feeling guilty.”
I’m not even sure she believes what she said, especially when she only intensifies the lip chewing.
Her words don’t ease me. In fact, they only make me feel worse. What does that even mean? What does any of this even mean? We still don’t have any answers from him about Tessa, and things are only getting more confusing.
“See, you’re worrying for nothing.” Irene squeezes my shoulder, and when she leaves her hand there, I place mine over hers.
They mean well, but this feeling is here for a reason. I tried to call Andrew twice today; both times he didn’t answer. He’s avoiding me.
The back door opens, and Sophia pops her head out. “Uncle Jack, some man is at the front door.”
Jack furrows his brow but says nothing as he walks toward Sophia. She opens the door wide to let him walk through, but doesn’t follow behind him. Instead, she leaves the door open and walks over to Nathan.
We sit quietly for a moment before we hear the murmuring of two men talking. Suddenly, Jack’s voice raises. I don’t hesitate. I’m on my feet and hurrying through the house before anyone can say a word. Something tugs on my heart, too strong to ignore.
I see a man I don’t recognize hand Jack a package. He turns to walk away, but Jack follows him. “Who are you?” he asks as I reach his side.
The man speaks while making his way to the waiting cab, Mike’s cab. “It doesn’t matter who I am. Andrew asked me to give that to you. Everything you need is in that package. Please, open it and look for yourself.”
My heart rate ticks up at the mention of Andrew’s name. “Where’s Andrew?” I yell after him, but I’m too late. As soon as the van door closes, they’re off like a bat out of hell.
My hands shake as I turn to see Jack’s gaze shift from me to the package he holds in his hand. There’s a look of complete confusion coloring his face.
“Jack, Charlie, who was that?” Andrea’s voice says from the front door. Jack and I turn to find everyone crowding into the living room.
“We don’t know. He gave me this” —Jack holds up the package— “and said Andrew told him to get it to me.”
Andrea’s hand immediately goes to cover her mouth. That bad feeling roiling in my gut only grows stronger. I start toward her but pass her instead as I head through the front door. I go straight to my bag, fish out my phone—thanking the heavens it didn’t sprout limbs and hide from me right at this anxiety attack-inducing moment—and call Andrew.
My fingers tremble as I hit the button to call him. It goes straight to his voicemail, but I don’t leave a message. I call again, and again, and again. It goes to voicemail every time. Filled with frustration, I slam my phone down.
Jack’s voice reaches my ears. “Charlie, you need to come in here.” His voice is calm, too calm.
That’s the, “Ma’am, you should have a seat,” voice cops use when they come tell you someone died.
Somehow, I let him lead me into the living room. I think my brain is numb as I hold on to the last strands of my sanity as I hope Jack will tell me I just need to calm down because everything is fine.
But that incessant feeling growing in my chest says I’m foolish.
Please be okay…
I walk into the living room to see that Jack has opened the package. He now holds an envelope in his hand. I see my name handwritten on the front.
‘Charlotte.’
Only Andrew calls me Charlotte.
My heart feels like it stops for far too long before it restarts and slams into my chest wall and takes my breath with it. I swallow thickly as I stare, dreading whatever is inside.
I walk over and robotically take the envelope from his hand, mine trembling. Andrea and Adalyn hold envelopes of their own, their names also written on the front. Jack holds the last remaining item from the package, a small jump drive. I swallow hard, but my mouth is too dry. I cough to clear my throat.
Irene and Joe are nearby, waiting to see what this is all about. The volume on the TV is much lower now. I notice Nathan hand Sophia her tablet. I barely hear him ask her to watch her show on it in Aunt Andrea’s room over the pounding of my heart. She offers no arguments and disappears down the hallway. There is this intangible feeling in the air, one filled with questions but mostly something ominous. So potent I feel like I can taste it.
Jack follows Sophia down the hallway but is back soon after, carrying his laptop. No one has uttered a word. I think we’re all afraid of what we’re about to see or read.
