Her guilt bubbled to the surface at his worried tone. “Jared, I am so sorry…I left my phone in the car and I didn’t realize how late it was.”
“Where were you?”
“I was at Declan’s house.” She swallowed hard and then continued, “He has a new case he’s working on and I was trying to help. A fitness instructor from Pennsylvania named Melanie Pirola has been missing since Monday.” The silence on the other line stung. “Jared, are you there?”
“Yes, I’m still here,” he said in a clipped tone.
Jared was the most easygoing guy alive. She was sure he was bad ass at work, but he never lost his temper with her—even when she was huge pain in the butt. The coldness in his voice made Kate realize she must’ve messed up big time.
“I can’t tell you how sorry I am,” she said mournfully. “I was so caught up in having a vision of Melanie that the next thing I know it was super late.”
Kate’s hands gripped the steering wheel until the blood drained out of her fingers. She willed Jared to not lose faith in her. Kate was only attempting to use her gift to help people. She knew that was the same reason Jared was a police detective. She understood when he broke plans for work commitments—Kate only hoped he extended her the same courtesy.
“And you’re hours late because you were busy having visions with Declan.” The way Jared pronounced visions made it sound completely dirty like Kate had really meant she had been having naked time with the psychic.
“I understand why you’re mad, but it was totally innocent,” she countered.
“Kate, you’re hours late. I’ve been calling you. You could have picked up the phone to at least let me know where you were. I kept thinking something must have happened to you,” he said.
“I left my phone in the car. I honestly didn’t know how late it was. Jared, I feel like such an ass. I would’ve never purposely left you waiting for me,” Kate promised.
Kate had to admit her excuses did sound lame. However, it was the truth. It killed her to know she ruined their night. She saw so little of Jared lately she had been anticipating her birthday dinner since he had mentioned it. Last night, she had tried to make him reveal where he was taking her, but he kept his lips sealed.
“It’s fine, Kate. Don’t worry about it,” he sighed.
“Can we have a late dinner instead? Can I come over?” she asked hopefully.
“I’m actually really tired. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
His monotone voice was devoid of its usual warmth. Suddenly Kate was filled with pain and longing. She could only squeak out an “okay” before disconnecting the call. Kate reasoned that begging him to forgive her and forcing her presence on him may end up backfiring. The only consolation was giving him some time to cool off should make him more prone to forgive her.
Her mother gave her an anxious look as she walked in the house a short time later. “Kate, never worry me like that again! Jared had to convince me to wait a few hours before calling the police.”
“I’m sorry I worried you, Mom,” she mumbled dejectedly. Some birthday this was turning out to be. Her boyfriend was pissed at her and she made her mom a nervous wreck.
“Where have you been?”
“I was trying to find a missing woman with Declan. I had no idea it was so late.”
Her mother tsked disapprovingly over the sound of Declan’s name. Her expression softened though when she saw how upset Kate looked. She reached out and rested a hand on Kate’s cheek. “I’m guessing you talked to Jared.”
“Briefly, he sounded disappointed in me.”
“I guess you’re not going into the city then?”
Kate moved her mother’s hand away and took a step back. “What are you talking about?”
Her mother looked guilty like maybe she shouldn’t have slipped. After a brief pause, she admitted, “Oh honey, Jared had a whole thing planned. He was going to take you into New York for dinner and then you were going to stay overnight and see a show tomorrow. He had me call your job to make sure you could have the day off tomorrow.”
Kate’s eyes welled up and her stomach clenched. This was the night. The special night he had alluded to weeks ago. Now instead of tearing up the sheets with her hot boyfriend, she was miserable and possibly single. Jared had gone to the trouble to arrange an amazing night for her and she had ruined it with her obsession over locating a girl she didn’t even know. If their visions were any indication, Melanie was most likely fine and sipping drinks on a tropical beach somewhere.
However, something was holding her back from wholeheartedly believing that Melanie wasn’t in trouble. Melanie willingly disappearing didn’t match up with the girl Kate had seen in her vision. Although Kate hadn’t been inside Melanie’s head, it was apparent that she lived for those weekly runs with her sister. The girl hadn’t come across as the type to make her family worry for nothing. Melanie needed to be saved. Kate was sure of it.
Chapter Twelve
After a sleepless night, Kate banged on Jared’s apartment door with renewed determination. It was early enough that she knew he would still be home if he had to go into work. There was no way she was letting another minute go by without explaining her actions to him. Kate couldn’t bear the thought of Jared furious with her. In their brief time together, they had been through so much. She could never willingly let go of him. If she had to offer up her body in exchange for his forgiveness, well so be it, Kate thought wryly.
Jared didn’t scowl at her when he answered the door which was progress at least. However, he didn’t look overly thrilled with her early morning invasion. She launched immediately into her apology. “I know I’ve sucked lately as a girlfriend. And I probably deserve the silent treatment for a few days. But I want you to know how much I wish last night turned out differently and I am so sorry I ruined it.”
“Is Kate Edwards groveling? I didn’t know you had it in you.” He crossed his arms across his chest and leaned back on his heels.
His smirk told her she hadn’t completely lost him. As mad as he was, she was pleased to know he always had a soft spot for her. Without preamble, she launched herself into his arms. He didn’t even stiffen and instead held her tightly and kissed the top of her head.
“I should be furious at you for spending our night with another guy,” he paused a second before continuing, “but for some reason I can’t.”
“That’s because I ensnared you with my captivating beauty and sparkling personality,” she said into his chest.
“That must be it,” he laughed. When she stepped out of his embrace, Kate gave him a forlorn expression. In response, Jared landed a quick kiss on her forehead.
As he led her inside, she felt a weight lift from her. Her heart had hurt over the thought of losing Jared because of a misunderstanding. A couple of months ago she had no idea who Jared Corbett was and now it seemed impossible to imagine her life without him. Kate knew she was lucky. Another guy may not have answered the door and already put up a profile on Match.com.
“My mom told me about your plans,” she said as they went into his kitchen.
“Ahh yes, the night didn’t turn out exactly how I expected,” he said lightly.
“So, I’m not sure if you’re still off today but if you are I’d like to offer my services,” she explained.
“What type of services are you offering up, Kate?” She loved that his flirty side was back and only further cemented the idea that she hadn’t ruined their relationship.
“My furniture shopping services, of course,” she said with a smile.
He looked around at his empty apartment. “I guess it is pretty dire looking here. But you don’t have to do that.”
“I want to,” she insisted.
This was absolutely true. Not only would she get to spend the day with him, but she could help redecorate his apartment. With Nikki’s stamp no longer on it, the apartment felt like an open canvas. She could furnish it in a style that would be more reflective of their personalities
.
“Let’s go then. I’ll get my wallet,” he replied and disappeared in his bedroom. A minute later he reappeared and handed her a gift bag. “Happy Birthday.”
“Thank you,” she squealed and tilted her head to kiss him. The kiss was sweet and gentle—exactly what she needed after their tumultuous fight. She wanted to tell him that he shouldn’t have bought her anything, but didn’t want to tempt fate. Jared may decide she wasn’t worthy of the gift after all.
Tearing through the wrapping and seeing a jewelry box, she felt the anticipation build. Opening the box, she gasped at the beauty of the necklace. An oval gemstone with a deep purple color was held in place by a diamond studded setting. She removed the necklace out of the box and held the white gold chain as she examined it closely. After a minute, she breathed, “Jared, I love it.”
Jared smiled at her reaction. “My aunt told me that the amethyst has been tied to psychic power since ancient times. The priestesses believed the stone was able to open up a person’s psychic energies.”
It was such a thoughtful gift that she actually felt tongue-tied for a second. She wiped at her eyes and put the necklace on. She would have to give Jared’s aunt a call on the sly later and thank her as well. Kate wasn’t sure if his aunt’s mystical beliefs were the reason she was a champion for their relationship, but Jared revered her. Kate was certain Aunt Lizzie was one of the reasons Jared had been attracted to Kate in the first place.
“This is amazing,” she said grasping the stone in the palm of her hand.
Jared kissed her forehead and hugged her again. “You drive me crazy in the best and worst possible ways.” His tone was uncertain as he started, “I trust you, Kate and I want you to be honest with me. I’m trying to be understanding, but I’m not going to pretend that it doesn’t bother me you spending so much time with some guy I never even met. Do I have anything to worry about? Do you have feelings for Declan?”
“No. Honestly, he’s just a friend,” she replied. “He’s actually been a big help with getting me to focus my gifts. I’m not completely convinced over everything he’s telling me. Like his claim that we can see the future seems pretty out there.”
Jared nodded. “Just promise me, you’ll be careful. After what happened last time, I worry about you getting involved in other abduction cases.”
“I swear it.”
***
“Good morning, welcome to Milo’s Furniture Store. My name is Grace, how can I assist you today?”
Kate looked around in awe. Darlene Edwards would be proud of the thrill she felt over the freedom to decorate Jared’s apartment. She had made him take all of the measurements before they left and also shot a few cell phone photos for inspiration. He mistakenly did not provide her with a budget which could culminate in blowing up in his face when he received the credit card bill.
Jared had introduced himself and the saleswoman had now turned to her expectantly. Grace had corn silk blonde hair that fell past her shoulders. Her eye color was hard to discern behind a pair of tortoise shell eyeglasses. Kate smiled as she sent a sideways glance at Jared. Her boyfriend already looked bored as he glanced around at the room displays. “Hi, I’m Kate…Jared’s fiancée.”
“Congratulations!” the woman exclaimed as her eyes moved down to Kate’s hand.
“We’re waiting to get a ring. I’m expecting and I’m sure I’ll swell up as big as a beached whale. Don’t want the ring getting stuck.” The woman nodded politely and turned away to lead them through the store.
Jared took her hand and whispered, “Pregnant and engaged? Is this one of those future visions you were telling me about?”
“Well, I couldn’t just say girlfriend, she would never take my opinions seriously,” she whispered back and bumped her hip to his. “Besides, won’t it fun to pretend for a little while?”
They walked around with Grace and she showed them some living room and kitchen sets. Kate dismissed the friendly saleswoman with the request that they browse alone to talk over choices. Jared looked at her and didn’t bother to suppress his yawn. “This is mind numbing. I tuned out once the two of you got started on the benefits of marble and tile finishes for kitchen tables.”
“Well, I’m having fun,” Kate retorted. She had narrowed down the choices in her head and figured she would tell Jared to make the final call on what sets to purchase. Kate suggested, “Let’s go test out the mattresses—it’s my favorite part of going to a furniture store.”
“But I don’t need a bed,” he responded.
“Just come on.”
Kate pulled him eagerly through the store as Jared laughed at her enthusiasm. Once they arrived at the mattress section, she positioned his body in front of one of the memory foam beds. She instructed him to face away from the mattress and hold her hand. Kate explained, “Now, on the count of three, we fall back onto the mattress. We’re judging the spring and level of support. Medium firm is usually ideal.”
His eyebrows shot up and he gave her a disbelieving stare. “This isn’t weird to do?”
“No, why would you buy a mattress without lying on it first? People do it all the time,” she enlightened Jared. Kate gave him a stern look. “Now on the count of three, fall down with me. One, two, three…”
Jared collapsed on the bed next to her and shot her a grin. “This is ridiculously comfortable. It might be time to upgrade my bed.”
“Hmm…” she murmured as his face moved to her.
It took a lot to keep Kate from pointing out she wouldn’t know since she had never been in his bed. Instead, she turned her head to study his perfect countenance. Their faces were only inches apart and she felt a blush creep on her skin. It was hard to not be hyperaware of his closeness and the fact they were lying on a bed next to each other.
“What do you think are the chances we could kick everyone out of the store and be alone?” Jared asked in a hypnotic tone. He was close enough that his warm breath tickled her skin.
The naked lust on his face prompted the blush to deepen. The air felt charged and she knew what she was feeling at that moment was more than simple desire for him. Last night was a wake-up call. Losing Jared would be disastrous to her life. Although the people in her cases meant a lot to her, Kate vowed to never take her boyfriend for granted again. It was on the tip of her tongue to confess her feelings when she heard someone clearing their throat. Grace looked down at them on the bed with a tolerant smile. “Are you considering a bed set as well?”
Chapter Thirteen
Melanie looked down at the note. Will you go to the dance with me? Circle Yes or No.
It was written in Billy Fraser’s loopy script. He had passed the note to her before history class. He would barely look at her when his hand brushed hers. Thinking back to the moment, Melanie guessed that he might actually be nervous about her response. This surprised her since she was certain Billy had thought Melanie wasn’t pretty enough to pay any mind to.
Melanie had to cover her mouth to hide a smile. Billy was one of the cutest boys in Dewey Middle School. He wore his black hair longer than most boys in seventh grade and always could be seen on his skateboard before or after school. She had been majorly crushing since school started and had confided to Allison during gym last week. Her best friend had lasted until Friday and then the whole school seemed to know about what Melanie had assumed was her unrequited crush.
On Monday Melanie had begged her mother to stay home. She didn’t want to face the severe embarrassment of having the entire school knowing who she liked. She was such a bad liar that every time someone asked her about Billy, she turned scarlet and could barely stammer out an answer. Her mother didn’t want to hear any of it and instead ushered her out of the house in the morning despite her protests. Her mother assured Melanie that the seventh graders would soon move on to another target for their gossip.
Then, the most amazing thing happened. Billy had cast her shy glances all week. They weren’t the looks that translated into repulsion over her ver
y presence. The looks said he was interested in her too. On Tuesday he had even given her a nod and hello in the hallway.
At first, she thought maybe it was a cruel joke on her. She wasn’t the most popular girl in school and pimples had started to erupt on her face seemingly overnight. Yet, Billy Fraser wasn’t like that. He was sweet and didn’t hang out with the boys who thought it was hilarious to ask you out as joke and laugh at you with all of their friends when you said ok. Melanie could never like any of the imbeciles that populated the rest of her school.
Just as the bell rang, she took her pen and circled “yes” in the note. As she made her way down the hallway, her heart stopped in her chest as Billy came down the hallway in the opposite direction. Gathering all of her nerve, she dropped the note on top of his pile of books. She couldn’t even make eye contact as she did and continued to hurry down the hallway. As she dared a glace behind her, she saw Billy turn in her direction. She gave him a shy smile as he grinned at her. Thursday was going to be the best night of her life.
***
“I experienced Melanie’s thoughts. I wasn’t inside her head for any of the other visions. What do you think that means?”
It had been almost a week since the fitness instructor was last seen. There had been no breaks in the case and new evidence had yet to surface. For the entire week, the psychics had attempted to garner some type of information from Melanie’s memories. Since it was Saturday, Kate had off from both school and work. She had dedicated the day to getting into Melanie’s head. Although Melanie’s memories were touching—they didn’t provide any clues to her whereabouts. After this latest vision, she had phoned Declan immediately for his input. It seemed strange for her to suddenly get inside the girl’s head when their previous visions had been as outside observers.
“Honestly, I don’t know, but it may not be good,” he replied solemnly.
“What do you mean?”
New Revelations: Second Sight Book Two Page 12
