Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 109695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
My heart stuttered. What did that mean for us? Would Nate go back to his place, leaving me here alone? If he didn’t need me to protect him, would he forget all about me? Just the thought of being without him sent a crushing wave of pressure through my chest.
What had I done? Was one night with him all I’d get? I swallowed, knowing deep inside it would never be enough. But the last thing I wanted was to be like Aubree, clinging to something that wasn’t returned. He’d said he couldn’t lose me, and that gave me hope. As long as I had that, even if it didn’t last, I wouldn’t regret one minute of our time together.
After showering, I got ready for the day. With not a lot of sleep, I spent a few extra minutes making sure I looked and smelled good. I found Nate in my office, working on my computer. I leaned against the door jamb and drank in the sight of him. Even in my office, he looked like he belonged.
He glanced up and his eyes darkened. “Hey, beautiful. Hope you don’t mind that I’m using your computer.”
“Not at all. What are you looking for?”
He shook his head. “I thought I’d check out Aubree’s social media posts and see if she mentions anything that would connect her to Johnny.”
“Good idea. Any luck?”
“No. But I found a photo of her and me at a bar. I told her to keep me off her social feeds, so she must have posted it behind my back.” He shook his head. “No wonder I ended it with her.”
“Yeah… that makes sense. It’s almost time to meet her, but I’m still a little worried that she’s setting you up. Why don’t we go to her office first? I’d rather take her by surprise.”
He nodded. “That’s a good idea. Before we go in, you can kiss me and see if you pick up anything that she’s planning.”
I smirked. “Kiss you? Yeah… that won’t work.”
“Why not?”
“If I’m kissing you, do you think I’ll be thinking about her?”
“I hope not.”
“Exactly.”
He frowned. “Okay. So you have to be thinking of her when you touch me. That’s how it works?”
“Yes. I’m learning as I go, but that’s the way it works when I’m with you.”
“Makes sense. Okay. Let’s get going.” Nate rose to his feet, trying not to grimace.
“How’s the leg?”
“I’ve had worse. I’ll be fine.”
He grabbed his jacket and we left the house. I drove while he gave me directions to Aubree’s office. Soon, we pulled into the parking lot outside her building, and I held my hand out for his.
Taking it, I concentrated on Aubree, but got absolutely nothing. I let out a breath and turned my focus to Johnny, coming up empty as well. “Maybe she’s not in there.”
“That’s a possibility. Let’s check it out.”
We strode inside, and the receptionist told us she wasn’t there, just like I’d thought. “Sorry. She’s with a client and won’t be back until this afternoon.”
“Can I leave a note on her desk?” If I could get into her office, I could touch something that might give me a vision. “It’s that one, right?” I started toward the door with Aubree’s name on it before she could tell me not to.
“Wait. You can’t—”
“Cindy, right? I’m Nate Stone. Didn’t Aubree introduce us a while ago?”
With the full weight of his handsome face focused on her, she forgot all about me. “Oh… no, we never met, but she told me all about you. You’re the one… I mean… yeah… she talked about you a lot. Didn’t you guys break up?”
“Yeah, but we’re still friends. I was hoping to catch her before lunch—”
I slipped into the office and let the door click shut behind me. While Nate did his thing, I stepped to her desk and looked for something personal that might speak to me.
It didn’t look like she spent a lot of time in her small office, because there were no pictures on her desk, or other personal items. Even the walls held only the usual office prints. The only thing that looked promising was the pencil holder. If she’d touched any of them recently, I might get something.
Picking one up, I waited for a vision, but nothing came. I carefully slid open the top drawer of her desk and found a picture frame turned upside down. I picked it up and turned it over, finding the glass shattered, and a photo of her and Nate. It was the same one she’d posted on her media page.
A vision hit me, and I saw her standing in a dark parking lot with a shadowy figure. After glancing around, she handed him a wad of cash. I caught a glimpse of his hands and gasped. The tattoos on his fingers were the same as those I’d seen before. It had to be Johnny, but why would she give him money?