She got up when I walked toward the door.
“What are you doing here? I thought you said I’d never see you again?” I said as Sapphire (Lauren, I should really start thinking of her as Lauren) pulled back her hood. Her hair was back in a ponytail, and her face was free of makeup except for black eyeliner.
“I’m worried about Fin. Have you talked to him lately?”
I didn’t answer her question. “How do you know where I live?” I didn’t like people showing up at my house unannounced.
“The internet. You can find anyone if you want to.”
She had a good point. “I guess. I’m not really happy that you’re here. I thought we were done. And Fin and I are done, not that it’s any of your business.”
She chewed on her thumbnail and looked up and down the street, as if she was worried that someone was watching her.
“Can we go inside? We don’t have to go to your place, but just inside?” She rubbed her arms even though it wasn’t that cold and she was wearing a thick coat.
“Yeah, sure. We can go inside.” I opened the door for her and we walked into the lobby. I was going to check my mail, but didn’t want to do it with her here.
“So, what makes you think Fin’s in trouble?” I asked, leaning against the wall near the elevator.
“Because the money’s stopped. And I can’t seem to get in touch with him.” She really did look worried. Very different from her normal confidence.
“He and I talked about you, but he didn’t say he was going to stop the money. And I didn’t ask him to.” That seemed odd, I had to admit.
“Oh. Well. When was the last time you heard from him?” She shifted from foot to foot. She was definitely freaking out.
“Almost a month ago. He wrote me a letter and we broke up, and that’s been it. He hasn’t called, hasn’t texted. I haven’t contacted him either.” Maybe I should have, just to see how things were going with him. But I was so hurt that it was easier to cut off all contact than to have just a little.
“Shit. I just have this feeling something is wrong. He’s never done this before.” She kept fidgeting, and it was starting to drive me nuts. People were walking past, giving us weird looks.
“Why don’t you come upstairs and we can talk?” I asked. I really didn’t want to, but I was starting to get worried.
“Thanks,” she said, and we walked up the stairs to my place. I let her in.
“Do you want anything? Water?” This was even weirder than the time we’d met at Fin’s place.
She looked around and then shook her head. “No, I’m fine. You didn’t have to let me up, but I appreciate it. I just don’t know what to do. I don’t care about the money. I make enough on my own, but I just have this feeling. I’m not going to claim to be psychic or anything, but I do get feelings sometimes and they’re always right. I just know that something isn’t okay with him.”
I took a breath and took out my phone. “Well, I’ll just text him and see.” I typed out a short message.
Everything okay? Please reply.
After I sent it, I called Carl, but he didn’t answer. I left a message for him asking if he’d talked to Fin lately, and to call me back. I didn’t mention Sapphire.
“Thank you so much,” she said, looking a lot more relieved. I couldn’t believe I was seeing her again.
“We broke up,” I said, even though I’d already told her that.
“Yeah, I know. He called me after he got your letter.” She wouldn’t meet my eyes when she said it.
“He did? What did he say?” I was dying to know what he thought of the letter. I almost didn’t care that he’d called her to talk.
“He was . . . he was upset. I’ve never heard him like that.” She started to say something else, but the phone rang. I answered without looking to see who it was.
“Hello? Fin?”
“Hello, Marisol Everly.”
It was Mr. Herald. Fin’s father. I’d recognize that voice anywhere.
I dropped the phone.
Don’t forget to check out
Deep Surrendering
Episode 9
when it comes out on December 18th
The Noctalis Chronicles
Nocturnal (Book One)
Nightmare (Book Two)
Neither (Book Three)
Neverend (Book Four)
The Whisper Trilogy
Whisper (Book One)
Fall and Rise
Deeper We Fall (Book One)
Faster We Burn (Book Two)
Slowly We Trust (Book Three)
My Favorite Mistake
My Sweetest Escape
(Available from Harlequin)
Surrendering
Sweet Surrendering
Surrendering to Us
Dark Surrendering
For Real
UnWritten
Just when I think I know where this story is going, Marisol and Fin throw a wrench in my plans. I’ve grown to expect the unexpected. Thanks go to my always patient editor, formatter, publicist and the fans who continue to ask “when is the next episode?”
Chelsea M. Cameron is a YA/NA and Adult New York Times/USA Today Best Selling author from Maine. Lover of things random and ridiculous, Jane Austen/Charlotte and Emily Bronte Fangirl, red velvet cake enthusiast, obsessive tea drinker, vegetarian, former cheerleader and world's worst video gamer. When not writing, she enjoys watching infomercials, singing in the car and tweeting. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Maine, Orono that she promptly abandoned to write about the people in her own head. More often than not, these people turn out to be just as weird as she is.
Find Chelsea online:
@chel_c_cam
chelseamcameron.com
Chelsea M. Cameron (Official Author Page)
Deep Surrendering: Episode Nine Page 6
