AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Why?Because he’s the only one who could’ve come into my room.
It only gets worse when we’re in the car together. I focus on my breathing, on not panicking, and barely make it without losing it. Thomas seems lost in his own thoughts, and the low croon of his favorite radio station, one that only plays smooth jazz, fills the silence.
When he pulls to the curb, I snatch my purse and spring out of the car, calling thanks to him before closing the door and putting more distance between us.
Fuck.
He drives off with a wave, and I just… stand there on the sidewalk. I watch his car until it disappears around a corner.
Before I can move, though, another car pulls up alongside me.
A familiar one.
The passenger window rolls down. “Melody?”
I duck down to make eye contact with Jacob. “What are you doing here?”
“Practice.” His blue eyes seem to go straight into me. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Of course. Just… had stuff to do.” Have stuff to do.
Vague stuff. Stuff that was really just an excuse to get out of the house and keep myself occupied.Errands, applying for jobs. Distractions.
He nods slowly. “Okay. Are you staying downtown for the morning?”
“I have to start applying for jobs.” I fold my arms across my stomach. “If that doesn’t take forever…”
“Meet me for lunch.”
I eye him. What I don’t want to say is that I’m financially dependent on a loan that Thomas and Natalie gave me. That I can’t really afford whatever lunch place a guy like him probably dines at.
“No thanks.” I step back and smile at him. “I’ll catch you around. Thanks for the interesting time last night.”
With that, I spin and rush all the way to the train. And I definitely don’t spare another thought for Jacob Rhodes.
8
JACOB
Ileaf through the mail left on the side table by their front door, a flashlight between my teeth. Thomas and Natalie Cameron. I take a picture of their names and address and text it to my brand-new private investigator, then slip my phone back into my pocket.
Everyone is asleep.
It’s been two nights since I was last here. Almost thirty-six hours since Melody blew me off on the side of the road. Never mind how it brought up old wounds, and how my first instinct was to get out of the car and show her just how persuasive I could be. And I would’ve done that if she knew our situation the way I do. Now, I’m doing a deeper dive while the family sleeps, and I come across a hospital bill addressed to Melody. It’s amongst the stack, but it’s been opened. I reopen it carefully and inspect the pages.
They’re charging her for her month-long stay. Thousands of dollars for a myriad of treatment, half of which I don’t understand. I fold it up and tuck it in my pocket. She’s not going to pay a fucking dime of this.
I need to know what happened to her.
My phone buzzes, a new text from my investigator filling the screen when I fish it back out.
Bill
Thomas Cameron is her first cousin. Only relative hospital could track down at the time.
Okay. I suspected he wasn’t her husband—knowing he’s blood related is a huge fucking relief. But it’s quickly followed by confusion, because there’s a very obvious person who should have been found and notified.
Her husband.
