Trust (10 page)

I sat there clinging to Stephan’s letter. I had no concept of how much time had passed, but eventually I heard someone enter the room and felt the mattress give as the person sat down. No one spoke, so I knew it must be Jade. Cal would’ve said something after a few minutes. He hated prolonged silence.

Jade shifted, propping herself up against the headboard beside me. After a few minutes, I leaned my head against her shoulder. Her only response was to wrap her arm around my shoulders and hold me.

At some point in the middle of the night, I woke up alone. The letter was still in my grasp. Even in my sleep, I’d been unable to let it go.

Sitting up, I reached over and turned on the lamp beside my bed. Light illuminated the room, revealing a figure in the corner. Instinct kicked in, and I screamed.

Jade ran into the room seconds later. “Anna?”

She followed my horrified gaze to Cal, who was now standing frozen halfway between the corner chair and my bed.

“Cal, what are you doing in here sneaking about?” she asked as she gently made her way across the room to my side. Jade silently asked permission to touch me, and I nodded. It wasn’t the same as having Stephan comforting me, but I accepted it just the same.

“I didn’t think she’d turn on the light. I only wanted to make sure she didn’t have a nightmare like in the beginning.”

“Well, you nearly gave her—and me—a heart attack.”

Cal sighed. “I’m sorry, Anna. I’ll just . . . I’ll be right back.”

Once he left the room, Jade leaned back and searched my face. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with him. I know he means well, but . . .”

“It’s okay. I shouldn’t . . . I shouldn’t have reacted—”

“He was hiding in the corner of your room while you were asleep. You had every right to react the way you did. He’s lucky you didn’t throw something at his sorry ass.”

That made me giggle.

Jade smiled.

She brushed the hair away from my face. “He’s worried about you. I think he was hoping that Stephan’s letter would get a different response.”

We both looked up when Cal strolled back in the room with a glass of water. He handed it to Jade, who gave it to me. “I thought hearing from Coleman would make you happy. Instead, it’s caused you more pain. I shouldn’t have agreed to give it to you. I’m—”

“No!”

Both Cal and Jade jerked at my violent response. The water in my hand spilled onto the bed, as well as on Jade and me. Luckily Stephan’s letter was far enough away and was spared any damage from my outburst.

Without comment, Jade went to the bathroom and retrieved a towel to clean up the water. While she was dabbing at the wetness, Cal let out a frustrated groan and stomped over to the window. It was dark, so I doubted he could see much of anything, but he stared intently out into the night as if it held some vital answer.

Jade shook her head. “I think we’re going to need to change the sheets. This towel isn’t doing much, I’m afraid.”

I heard her, but I was focused on Cal. “If . . . if I give you a letter, will you give it to Stephan for me?”

Cal spun around, a look of bewilderment etched on his features. “What?”

Although I was trembling, I muttered the words again. “Will you give Stephan a letter for me?”

He took several steps forward and then stopped himself. “You can’t be serious.”

“Cal.” Jade’s tone had a note of warning in it.

Cal ignored her. “No. You can’t be serious, Anna. Here I was thinking getting a message from him would put a smile on your face. Instead, it made you cry. No. I won’t let you do that to yourself. I won’t.”

I opened my mouth to yell at him, but nothing came out.

My chest constricted, and it felt as if walls were closing in around me. Closing my eyes, I begged. “Please.” The word came out in a broken whisper.

When I opened my eyes again, Cal was kneeling on the floor next to my bed, looking up at me. He seemed to be in pain. “Don’t ask me to do this. I’d do anything for you, Anna, but don’t ask this of me.”

Trembling, I reached out and touched his face. It was the first time I’d willingly touched Cal since he’d come back into my life.

He closed his eyes. “If he hurts you . . .”

I slowly removed my hand and placed it back in my lap. “Thank you.”

Without a word, Cal stood and left the room. I heard cabinets open and close and then the sound of a bottle being opened. Cal had gotten into the liquor cabinet. I felt bad that I’d caused him so much grief—he didn’t deserve it, but I needed this.

“We should change the sheets before the water soaks in any more.”

Jade’s voice pulled my attention back to the woman now standing at the foot of my bed holding a fresh set of linens. I scurried off the bed, tucked Stephan’s letter in my pants pocket, and began removing the wet sheets.

On Friday afternoon, once again, Cal and Jade took me to see Dr. Perkins. Cal wasn’t really speaking to me. I knew he wasn’t happy about the note I’d written Stephan, but he’d taken it and begrudgingly promised to deliver it next week.

Unlike last week, when Dr. Perkins had opened her door inviting me into her office, Cal and Jade didn’t accompany me. This time I went in alone.

“How are you feeling today, Anna?”

I glanced around the office. Dr. Perkins had left the door ajar like last time, so I wouldn’t feel trapped. I appreciated that. “I’m okay.”

“I see your friends came with you again today.”

I nodded.

“Does it make you feel more comfortable knowing they’re here with you?”

Glancing down, I picked at my jeans. I was torn. Cal and Jade said I needed to talk to someone. Stephan told me not to do anything I didn’t want to do. I didn’t
want
to talk to Dr. Perkins, but after reading Stephan’s letter many times over the last two days, I’d realized that maybe, if I talked to her, she might be able to help me get better. That was her job, right? And if I could get better, then maybe I could be what Stephan needed me to be. It was a long shot, but I had to try, didn’t I?

“Cal isn’t talking to me.”

“Why isn’t he talking to you?”

I looked nervously around the room. This would be so much easier if Stephan was with me, but he wasn’t. I was on my own. “It’s complicated.”

Dr. Perkins jotted something down on the pad of paper she was holding and then redirected her attention to me. “Does this have anything to do with this Stephan?”

I nodded.

“I noticed tension between you and Cal last week when his name came up. Why don’t you tell me about Stephan?”

Without thinking about it, I drew my legs up, hugging them to my chest.

“Is there a reason you changed positions, Anna? Do you feel as if you have to protect yourself?”

I didn’t know how to answer her question. “Cal doesn’t like him.”

“Why doesn’t Cal like him?” She leaned forward slightly in her chair, waiting on my answer.

“He thinks . . .” I took a deep breath. “He thinks Stephan has made me too dependent on him.”

“And has he?”

I looked Dr. Perkins straight in the eye for the first time. It was a struggle to keep my voice from shaking. Everyone was against Stephan. I didn’t understand it. He didn’t deserve their ridicule. He’d done nothing to deserve it. “No.”

“I see.” She picked her pen back up and scribbled something in her notes.

Clenching my fists, I prepared for the battle I knew would come. I’d had it out several times with Cal in the last two days. He kept trying to get me to change my mind about responding to Stephan. I hated fighting with him—I hated fighting with anyone—but I wouldn’t let him say bad things about Stephan. I wouldn’t.

Suddenly, I wondered if Cal had talked to Dr. Perkins without me. What if he’d told her things about Stephan that weren’t true? What if he’d filled her head with lies and she believed them? I would have to fight against her, too. She wouldn’t see how much he’d helped me. She wouldn’t understand. She wouldn’t listen.

My heart began to pound in my chest. I felt hot and cold at the same time. The voices were back, but this time I couldn’t understand what they were saying. Why were they yelling? Why wouldn’t they leave me alone?

Something touched me.

I had to get away.

Without hesitation, I located a spot at the far side of the room where there was a large plant and took off toward it. There was a small space between it and the wall that I squeezed between, and I curled up into a ball. They would go away. They had to.

Chapter 9

Stephan

Agent Marco slammed the folder down onto the desk inches away from
my hands. The urge to pull them back was there, but I resisted. I wasn’t willing to show weakness in front of this man. It was exactly what he wanted.

“Cut the bullshit, Coleman. I know you know more than you’re saying. Jonathan Reeves has been more than forthcoming with information. I know how you tied him up in your dining room and interrogated him. According to him, you were very protective of his daughter—more protective than just a
friend
would be. Why is that, Mr. Coleman? You’ve not given me one good reason as to why Ms. Reeves was living with you for three months. And I don’t buy this knight-in-shining-armor story you’re trying to sell.”

I opened my mouth, ready to give him the standard answer Oscar and I had rehearsed, but my lawyer was faster. “My client has already provided you with an explanation, Agent Marco. It’s not his problem, nor mine, that you don’t accept it. Now, do you have any
new
questions for my client, or are we done here?”

Agent Marco stood to his full height and crossed his arms. He leveled a hard stare in my direction. “That’s all. For now. I still don’t want you leaving town, Coleman.”

The moment we stepped outside, we were surrounded by the media. Cameras flashed, and reporters were shouting questions. I had little doubt that Agent Marco had tipped them off that I would be here. He was trying to rattle me.

Because of the crowd, it took us longer than it should have to reach our vehicles. Oscar paused when we reached my car. “I’ll call you tomorrow. Until then, keep your head down. I’m fairly sure Agent Marco’s only attempting to push your buttons, but I want to be positive.”

I nodded and got into my car. “You know me—always careful.”

My lawyer snorted and shook his head before turning on his heel. He walked two steps and then paused to look back over his shoulder at me. “Oh, and Stephan?”

“Yes?”

The stern expression Oscar typically wore softened momentarily. “Happy birthday.”

Before I could respond, he was halfway to his car and too far away for me to reply without drawing attention. Although my birthday
was
tomorrow, it wasn’t something I usually spent a lot of time celebrating—at least not since my parents had died. During the time I spent with my aunt and uncle, Diane had attempted to mark the day with a small celebration, even if it was just her, my uncle, and Logan eating my favorite cake. She seemed to understand that, given the timing, I didn’t want anything elaborate.

Today was the ten-year anniversary of my parents’ death. It wasn’t a day I went out of my way to remember. It was also a day I would never forget.

This time of year was always difficult for me. I’d hoped after so long that it would get easier. In some ways, it had. Or maybe I only got better at masking the effects. This year was different. I felt their loss more so than I had in years. A lot of that had to do with Brianna. I wished they could have met her, and she them. They would have loved her as much as I did.

Instead of heading directly for home, I took a detour out of town. It wasn’t a route I took often. That was perhaps a good thing given a brief glance in my rearview mirror. I only noted one reporter still following me. The others must have assumed I was going back to my condo. That was good.

Taking a few unnecessary turns, I successfully lost the single car following me and drove the final five miles to the cemetery.

I drove through the large iron gate at the entrance and followed the winding road that led back to where my parents were buried. Parking my car, I stepped out into the sun.

The walk to the twin graves was short, and unlike when I’d gone with Brianna to visit her mother, the clearly marked tombstone was easy to spot. Stopping directly in front of the large granite marker, I folded my hands in front of me and bowed my head. Any words that came to my mind died in my throat. There was nothing to say that hadn’t already been said. Ten years ago, on the eve of my fifteenth birthday, their plane had crashed, killing them both instantly. That day, my life had forever changed.

A gust of wind blew through the cemetery, drawing attention to the single tear that had slipped down my cheek. Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I returned to my vehicle and headed back into the city.

The elevator ride up to my condo seemed to take longer than normal, although that was undoubtedly only my perception. All I wanted to do was get home and hole up in my room with what had become my most prized possession—Brianna’s journal.

The ease of executing that plan, however, would largely depend on Sarah. She refused to let me mope. It was only at night after she’d retired to her room for the evening that I was able to allow the overwhelming loss I felt to completely consume me.