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“I’ve been meaning to ask you, what’s going on with your boss and my case. You haven’t said anything about it in a while and I know we’re not really supposed to be together -”
“We’re together,” Caden said. “My boss can think whatever he wants and I’m not going out of my way to correct him. As soon as Blake’s shooter is put away, and none of the witnesses mention you in their testimony or on the stand, he’ll hopefully let this go. In the meantime, we just stay the course and live our lives.”
Hallie didn’t like Caden putting his job on the line for her. “If you have to tell him -”
“Not happening. Look, my boss is a good agent. In fact, he’s a great agent. But I don’t know him outside of the office, and seeing as how I haven’t even told my friends about your ability yet, I’m sure as hell not going to risk telling him.”
“Okay,” she said. “I trust you.”
His arms tightened a little around her as he nuzzled the back of her neck. “Just one more reason why I will never betray you. I’m not losing that trust ever again, Hales. It means more to me than anything else. Even my job. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
They were quiet for a while, just listening to the symphony of nature sounds around them when Caden’s phone buzzed with an incoming text message and then another one. “Everything okay?” Hallie asked, her gaze on the meandering creek. Two dragonflies were chasing each other over the rippling water and it made her smile.
“It’s Garrett asking everyone if we’re free to come over for a BBQ this afternoon. I know it’s last minute, but our schedules are always in flux, so it actually works out better this way than trying to plan something in advance, only to have it fall through because of something coming up. But we don’t have to go. We can just stay here, order some lunch, and talk or - not talk.” He added that last part with a teasing tone, but Hallie knew how much his friends meant to him. She hadn’t seen them since that terrifying night at her store, but now that she and Caden were a couple, she wanted to spend time with them and get to know them better.
“No, I want to go,” Hallie shifted to meet his gaze. “But I think I should go home first to shower and change. I wish I would’ve thought to bring fresh clothes with me.”
“It’s okay. You go, do what you need to do. That will give me time to shower and change too. Then I’ll come get you.”
“I could just meet you at Garrett’s,” Hallie offered.
“No,” Caden said. “I’ll pick you up. This will be your first time back there since Luke and Orly’s party. I don’t want bad memories, nerves, or anything else getting the better of you.”
***
Half an hour later, Hallie was standing in the steaming hot water of her shower. She lathered up her hair with shampoo and was about to lean back under the steady stream to rinse when her world started to shift. She saw a building, and then a huge explosion. The sound and vibration reverberated through her, making her heart race and her hands shake. She screamed, throwing her eyes open to make sure it was just a glimpse. That was the most intense one she’d had in a long time and it left her slightly queasy with a dull throbbing in her head.
Tears mixed with water droplets ran down her cheeks as she fought to stay upright long enough to finish her shower. Relieved when she could finally turn off the water and step out of the small space, she wrapped a towel around herself and started to walk out of the bathroom. But then the glimpse replayed. She paid closer attention to what she was seeing this time. The building appeared to be older with a white picket fence, and then the explosion happened. Its intensity rattled her again, making her head throb harder. No. Please no. Not today.
She sat on the bed wanting nothing more than to get off her feet, the towel still wrapped around her. She had no idea what this building was, or where it was, and worse, not a clue as to when this would happen. The fact that the glimpse was repeating so quickly, only meant that it would likely happen soon, but even that was relative. It could be an hour, a day or even a week, or a month.
Her breathing grew ragged, as she felt a panic attack coming on. No, she had to get herself under control. She had plans with Caden and his friends. She wanted to be at her best for them, not a headcase who saw things that weren’t there. Needing a few minutes to collect herself, she lay back on the bed, uncaring that her wet hair would likely drench her pillowcase.
It was moments like this when she hated her life. Why she’d always shied away from making close friends. There was no way she could go out this afternoon and act like nothing was wrong. She needed to call Caden and tell him not to pick her up. She looked around for her phone, but all she spotted in reaching distance was a notepad and pen.
Hallie closed her eyes in frustration, but that only made the glimpse replay. Her hands flew to her head until it passed. Then she slowly opened her eyes and snatched the pad and pen off her bedside table. She rolled onto her belly and started drawing the building. At least the part she kept seeing in her glimpse. She focused on the details, every angle of the roof, every brick on the wall. She even drew the white picket fence that surrounded it. The only thing she left out was the explosion, but that wouldn’t help identify it. Maybe if she scanned the drawing into some kind of software or something, she’d at least be able to identify it. A knock on the door startled her out of her concentration. “Hales? It’s me.”
Caden. She’d completely forgotten to call him and worse, had totally lost track of time. Hallie stood and went to the door with the towel still wrapped around her, her hair damp and uncombed. She opened the door and turned to allow Caden to come in, but he was right behind her, his hands on her shoulders as he carefully spun her around to face him. “What happened?” He demanded.
She looked up at him, seeing the concern in his steel gray eyes. He never missed anything when it came to her. “It’s nothing. I just had a glimpse while I was in the shower. You should go to Garrett’s without me today.”
He pulled her close and she went willingly, and with great relief. There was nowhere else she’d rather be than in Caden’s arms, especially when she was feeling like this. “I’m not going anywhere without you, and I sure as hell am not leaving you when you look the way you do.”
She cracked a smile. “That bad, huh?”
He kissed her forehead, then her nose, then her mouth. His kisses were sweet, gentle, and filled with so much love. “You’re always beautiful, Hales. But right now you look tired and your eyes are red and puffy like you’ve been crying. Tell me about this glimpse.”
“There’s no point. Nothing can be done about it.”
“Humor me.”
Hallie licked her chapped lips and inhaled deeply. “It was a building. It exploded.”
His eyes grew wide as his hold on her arms gently tightened. “Exploded? Are you okay?”
She nodded. “I felt the explosion. Those are the worst, when I can feel them.”
