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He’s quiet and I feel a little embarrassed for just walking in here. I didn’t consider that this is not a “walk-ins are welcome” kind of place. Then he smiles and motions for me to follow. “Come on back.”
“Don’t I need an appointment?”
“Not tonight. I was just here doing the books. Gage said you’re good with numbers. Mind if I pick your brain?”
“Sure.”
“Cool.”
I follow him through the room to a door in the corner. Unlike the other chairs in the place that are out in the open, Enzo’s space is private. That makes me feel a lot better as I make myself comfortable.
Chapter 45
Gage
Two months later
“You know what I’m going to ask, don’t you, Gage?”
“Yes, and the answer is the same. No, I haven’t written the letter.”
Tapping the tip of her pen on the notepad, Dr. Vail stares at me. We play this game each week. I tell her no. She stares. I lean back and close my eyes until she sighs and asks me a different question. Same dance. Different week.
“Let’s talk about your new position. How are you adjusting?”
“It’s different that’s for sure. Sheriff Lewis is full of stories, which helps pass the time.”
“And your family? How do they feel about your move?”
“My mom is ecstatic that I’m not undercover anymore but wishes I wasn’t seven hours away. Dad has planned three fishing trips to Starlight Ridge so I’m going to guess he’s okay with it all. Same with the cousins.
Dr. Vail nods and scribbles on that damn pad. Our conversation ebbs and flows as always. We talk about the present and the past. She links positive memories of my childhood to some of my current habits and past times. Much of who we are is a product of who we were. I’m not sure if I ever believed that until Sophia.
Sophia. While I’ve never counted, I assume she enters my thoughts at least a hundred times a day. I wonder how she’s handling all the changes in her life. If she’s going on hikes. Whether she’s embraced streaming and started binge watching shows. How often she thinks of me, if at all.
“Have you talked to Sophia?”
“No.”
“What about Bruce? Has he mentioned her?”
“No.”
She stands and walks across the room to her desk. After tossing the pad of paper and pen onto the desk, she leans over and begins to tap on the keys of her keyboard. I look at the wall clock and watch as the hand ticks. After two minutes I speak.
“Are you ignoring me?”
“No, Gage, I’m not ignoring you. I’m referring to something in my notes. I seem to recall you once mentioning your sister and not being around when she needed you most. You admitted to feeling an extreme level of guilt. Is that correct?”
I closed my eyes and nod. It’s quiet as she returns to her seat across from me and sits.
“Have you considered that your connection to Sophia may have been part of that guilt? A way to balance the scales of the responsibility you thought you had toward your sister.”
“Those are two completely separate circumstances. Aubrey is my little sister. My job is to protect her. I was gone when I should have been there for her.”
Dr. Vail clears her throat and shifts in her seat. “You knew the consequences of going undercover, did you not? That life as you knew it would go on.”
“Of course I did. We all did.”
