FreeNovel
Chapter 141
I sit in the computer lab for another hour.
I find myself wanting to call Aaron to confront him. I should get those answers before tell him about the
baby.
I dig out my phone and dial him.
He dumps me into voicemail. “In a meeting.”
Then a few seconds later: “U safe???”
“Fine.”l’text back.
“K. Talk soon.”
I stare at my phone and think back on the last years. All the times I’d been overlooked and taken for
granted. Made to feel jealous and ignored until it suited him.
There’s some truth to what Liam said.
Things might be good now, but they weren’t always.
And the only time things really changed was when I obtained some power of my own. Is Aaron only
holding on now because I can finally be independent?
And if that’s the case, then how can I continue to love someone who can never really
love me?
Liam said he was going out for orange juice, but that shouldn’t have taken but a few
minutes. Even if the cafe is out, he could Doordash or there is a convenience store maybe two blocks
up the street.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtI call him.
But it goes to voicemail.
Huh.
t’d be nice if one of these males
Take my call.
My phone rings and I answer it. “What’d you go to pick the oranges?” It’s like a lame dad joke. Only
Liam doesn’t laugh.
“What oranges, Leah? What are you talking about?”
It’s Aaron.
“I’m on my way to the hotel, but I wanted you to know I’m in Montana. I’m flying back, so it’ll be a few
hours before I arrive.”
So much for dinner.
r maybe we do roo
“Want to push the reservations back?” he asks. service instead?”
Room service means we’d be eating in bed- if we stopped to eat at all.
hath bed
“You know, I’m actually not that hungry.”
“Oh. Okay.”
He’s quiet for a moment.
Everything that Liam said has been playing like a bad song
can’t block out the doubts. Much as I want to, I can’t.
repeat in
my head. I
Because deep down, I know there is a thread of truth to each of them.
“You okay, honey?” he asks.
The note of concern and the endearment just make me doubt myself eyes. “Yeah. I’m good. Tired.”
more. I rub
my
“Let James bring you back. Get some rest.”
I have an overwhelming urge to cry.
There is so much we need to say.
And yet, much as it often does, it goes unsaid.
“I have to go,” he tells me.
“Sure. ‘Kay. Bye.”
I hang up.
Then I stare at my phone feeling lifeless.
“We’re thinking about closing up early tonight,” Dennis tells me as he approaches the area where I’m
sitting. “Well, relatively speaking.”
“It’s Friday. Go for it.”
“We’ll be back at it tomorrow morning.”
“I know. But let’s let the team sleep in a little bit. No one in the office before 10am.”
He smiles wide. “Thanks boss.”
“Don’t mention it.” They’re running on empty and if they don’t get some solid sleep, someone is going
to drop the ball or make a mistake.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmHe turns to go.
“Hey, have you seen Liam?” I ask him. “Or heard from him maybe?”
Dennis shakes his head. “Not in the last hour or so.”
It seems weird that he’d leave and not answer my calls.
“Is everything all right?” Dennis watches me carefully.
“Of course.” I clear my expression. “Head out while you can. You’re burning minutes.”
He saιures and moves to snare ine news wirninis Team. Iney grin and high-tive and clear the room in
less than thirty seconds.
I resume my seat and close my eyes.
I try to work through the doubts and fears. I try to center myself with positivity because if nothing else,
that is better for my baby.
I think I even doze off for a while.
When I open my eyes, I see that it’s half past ten.
I turn off lights and take a lap gathering up empty coffee cups and junkfood wrappers. I drop them in
the trash bin and move the energy drinks to recycling.
My phone beeps and I mumble a curse. It’s the message alert, meaning I’ve missed calls. Da mn it, I
didn’t even hear it ring. I type in my passcode and see four missed calls from an unknown number.
One of them sent several video texts.
I click on the first one and then fumble the phone as the image comes into view.
It’s my brother.
He’s beaten and bl oody. Chained to a chair.
Someone is holding him hostage.
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