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“Carter,” Nessa’s tone softened as if she was talking with a wounded animal that was ready to bolt.
“No, seriously. I was no more than ten feet from her.”
“Alright,” she slowly dragged out. “It’s not the first time you swore you’d seen her. Remember, New Jersey.”
Of course he remembered New Jersey. Seeing that woman, and realizing she wasn’t Gwen, had put him in a deep spiral of depression. If not for Nessa, he wasn’t sure he would have survived the loss he’d felt all over again.
“No, that was an honest mistake. This time she recognized me, even called me by name. There’s no mistake this time. I found my wife.”
Silence.
“Vanessa, are you there?” No response followed. “Nessa, honey, are you there?” Carter pulled the phone away from his ear to see if the call had dropped.
“I’m here,” she answered with what sounded like tears in her voice.
“She’s alive,” Carter stated, still in shock.
“What did she say?” Nessa’s stunned stupor was gone, and the agent had returned.
“Nothing really. She called my name and seemed to withdraw. She looked afraid.”
“Of course she was afraid. She probably thought you were there for payback for poisoning you.”
There were times he regretted confiding in Nessa, but because of his ongoing treatment, he needed an ally to cover his back. She’d been a trooper during that time, offering a helping hand, comforting him through the endless pain. Then later with her body... until he ended their dysfunctional relationship.
“Maybe. She looks different, stronger, but I could feel her fright. Apparently, so did her friends, because I was ushered out of the building faster than a bullet to its target.”
“Where are you? I thought you started your new job today.”
“I did. That’s where I found her.”
“Wait. Are you saying that Gwen works at the same place you do?”
“Well, my offer has been put on hold, but yes, she works there too.”
“And you didn’t know this beforehand? Is that what you want me to believe?” Carter could’ve lied to her, but there really wasn’t any point, so he went with the truth.
“No. I was ninety-nine percent sure she was there. When I heard about the person they called Voodoo, who could take out an entire country with one of her elixirs, I was pretty sure it was Gwen.”
“And I’m guessing you didn’t voice your assumption in the interviewing process.”
“Of course not. I needed the upper hand.”
“So where are you now?”
“Sitting outside ALIAS. She hasn’t left the building in two days.”
“So what are you going to do? Storm the castle and drag her out of there? She obviously doesn’t want to be with you. I’m sorry, but it’s time you wise up, Carter. She faked her death and has known how to find you for five years, and never has. She’s moved on with her life, just as you could have... should have. She doesn’t want you.”
Even though her tone was sharp, he could still feel her pain. It rang out loud and clear.
“Vanessa,” Carter softly, timidly said.
“Don’t Vanessa me, Carter Hughes. You have a woman here who loves you... who wants to treat you like you should’ve been. A woman who knows your pain and has been willing to absorb it time after time. But instead of loving me back, appreciating what I can give you... you run after a memory, a dream, and for what? To know that she’s content with her life. For all you know, she could be married.”
“She is married!”
“I mean to someone else under her new identity. What’s her name? I can run it through the database.”
