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“What can I do? How can I make this better?”
I steadied my breathing.
“I don’t know. Just… thank you for being here.”
“I’ll always be here for you, Sadie.”
I would have four years of peace. I wouldn’t have to relive everything over again for a trial. I could do this. I could stay strong, make a plan, disappear…
“That will give you enough time to do what you’d planned.”
I shook my head, staring at him blankly. “What did I plan?”
“You know, you’d mentioned wanting to create a therapy space with animals for trauma victims.”
I laughed, feeling bitterness overtake me. “Yeah. Right. That.”
“Don’t do this, Sadie. Don’t let Carmella get you down. Don’t give her that power.”
I looked into his beautiful eyes and shook my head. “You’re right. I know you’re right, but right now, all I want to do is fly away and hide and just be done with this.” A shiver ran through me.
Zack put both of his large hands on my shoulders and rubbed my arms up and down.
Elena laughed nervously. “We’d all miss you too much.”
Jaxson glanced at Zack as if to ask him something private, which only annoyed me more.
“What? What’s the secret look about?” I stepped away. “Are you thinking about hiding me somewhere?”
Zack’s lip curled slightly, and he shook his head. “No. We wouldn’t dream of doing that, Sadie.”
But the way Zack’s expression darkened made me wonder what Jaxson and he had spoken about. I glanced at my sister, but she didn’t appear to have any insight either.
With everything that just went on, I almost forgot about the earlier message from my first boyfriend.
Zack poured himself another cup of coffee, and I was tempted to dismiss the message from Tim.
“So, Carmella is still on the East Coast.” I drew a breath and glanced at Jaxson, who had people watching her.
He nodded, pushing his thumb along his jawline. “Yeah. I got confirmation thirty minutes ago.”
I nodded, feeling my shoulders drop. “Well, I might have an idea who’s been leaving things in my apartment.”
Zack’s gaze snapped to me as Elena closed the gap between us.
“Who?”
I bit my lip and shook my head, feeling absolutely ridiculous. How did I attract this kind of problem? These kinds of people?
“My ex-boyfriend.”
Jaxson scowled and looked at Zack, and I laughed as he put both hands in the air.
“No, I mean from a long time ago.”
Elena cocked her head slightly as her eyes met mine. “Are you talking about your first boyfriend?”
I pushed my lips into a thin line and nodded. “Yeah. I got a message from him several weeks ago that seemed rather harmless and unassuming, and I didn’t answer. I knew Dad would kill me if I opened that door again.”
