AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Are you staying with Knox?”
“I can’t tell you. But I’m safe. And I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“You really think this is about Sloane?”
“It’s the only thing that makes sense.”
“If I’d listened or been more concerned when you first told me about Sloane, maybe this wouldn’t be happening now.”
“It’s fine. And you did believe me. But you believed she’d turn up.”
“Well, yeah, because…” His voice trails.
“It’s the rational thing to expect.”
“But you’re okay now?”
“Yes, I am. How bad is my house?”
There’s a pause. And I know.
“There’s good news and bad. Which do you want first?”
“It’s totaled, isn’t it?”
“Jumping to the bad news. So now let me give you the good. Insurance will cover a new build. You rebuild it exactly like you want.”
“That’s your idea of good news?”
“And better news. Remember when I took photos of all of the furniture you crammed into that house?”
He did. He took photos from multiple angles. “You wanted me to post everything to sell.”
“Sage. You had rooms that were so packed with furniture you couldn’t enter them.”
My parents lived in a four-bedroom home. I couldn’t bring myself to sell their furniture. And then Sloane left things with me. And all of Sam’s stuff. Tears sting my eyes. “The fire destroyed everything?”
“And now you get to furnish your house with style. That’s the good news.” I swipe at a tear and look off into the street. “You happen to live near the furniture capital of the world. Unfortunately, Mitchell Gold went under, but we’ll get–”
“Jimmy.” It sounds like a whine, and I have to swallow before continuing. “I don’t want to think about it.”
“You may not see it yet, but your place needed an overhaul. Any visitor would assume you suffered from a hoarding disorder.”
“Jimmy.”
“Okay. Okay. We’ll talk about it later. And now you’re with the Knox Williams.”
“Yes. And I’m safe.” My throat hurts. I want to curl in a ball and cry.
“And you went to Knox because you were following the freakish instructions Sam left you?”
He read all of Sam’s letters after the naval officer visited me. “Yeah.”
“You know, I wondered if that’s what you were doing. But then I thought Sam hasn’t been around in two years, and we always thought he defined unhinged.”
“I panicked. And I didn’t want to put you in danger.”
“Right. Well…thank god you’re okay.” A muffled sound comes through the line. Then a sniffle.
