morning. It was weird, that it was only three in the afternoon. Too much had been squeezed into just those few hours.
“I need to see you,” he said, finally. “Can I meet you back at the apartment, or do you want me to come to Jack and Missy’s place to get you?”
“I can drive,” she said, and she fought to keep her tone neutral. “I’m okay.”
“Your voice is shaking, but your tone is flat. You’re still in shock. I need to know your reactions are okay.”
She wanted to punch the soldier, but that would be bad for all sorts of reasons. She closed her eyes, inhaled, exhaled, and found something that approached the center of her heart. “Is that better?”
“A little bit. Promise to pull over and call me if you start spacing out again?”
Punching him would definitely be inappropriate, not the least because he was all the way across town, and it would hurt her hand to punch the wall. “Okay. I’ll be there in a few minutes, I just want to find out what Jack knows.”
“Sure,” he said. “Drop me a text when you leave, and I’ll meet you in the apartment.”
“Sure.” She thought about telling him that she loved him— but it would ring false right now, and she didn’t want that. Not for either one of them. “Thanks, Mason.”
Funny. That seemed to mean even more, at least based on the warmth in his voice. “Of course, baby. I told you. I’m here for you.” But then he disconnected before she could say anything else in response.
She rubbed her hand over her eyes and tried to keep that feeling of centered calm close. It kept flitting away when she was least expecting it to disappear, leaving her on the edge of tears, or rage, or both at once. Her skin felt tight and sore where Randall had touched her, but there was no sign of redness or bruising.
She kept wandering back to what Jack had said. If he was the dirty cop, the one Declan had been working with...he might not be any stranger to murder at all. She knew she’d been walking a fine line back in her house but this was ridiculous.
She was never going back there, not ever again. She’d hire movers to pack up all her stuff and put it in storage until she found a permanent place to live. But her feet would never cross the threshold of that cursed place in this lifetime. Simple as that.
She changed her clothes and felt a bit better in clean jeans, clean underwear, and a clean bra. She even changed out of the shirt she’d bought that morning. She’d wash it, and see if she could bring herself to wear it again without thinking, “This is the shirt I wore the day I could have died.”
When she opened the door, Missy was standing there, her hand poised to knock. “Oh!” She jumped just a little, and Caroline would have been lying if she’d said she didn’t move a little too fast as well. “I’m sorry. You were— I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
Caroline stepped aside, letting Missy come in and sit down on the bed. Caroline leaned against the bureau. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to hold still if she sat down. “Can we talk?” Missy asked.
“If it’s about Mason, and how I should stay away from him, I’ve— Missy, I’ve heard you say it all already, and it’s not changing things for me. I know it’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever done in my life, and I am still doing it.” She found herself saying the words she hadn’t said to anyone but Mason, at least not like this. “I care about him. I love him. I can’t just walk away, and I can’t just pretend that he’s not in my life. He is, and he matters.”
Missy was shaking her head already. “Sweetie, I know that. And Mason… I worry about you two, but he’s one of the good ones. He’s been here for you every step of the way, keeping an eye on you and making sure that you’re as safe as he can make you. I get that. But I need to know you’re being careful.”
Caroline couldn’t
“I need to see you,” he said, finally. “Can I meet you back at the apartment, or do you want me to come to Jack and Missy’s place to get you?”
“I can drive,” she said, and she fought to keep her tone neutral. “I’m okay.”
“Your voice is shaking, but your tone is flat. You’re still in shock. I need to know your reactions are okay.”
She wanted to punch the soldier, but that would be bad for all sorts of reasons. She closed her eyes, inhaled, exhaled, and found something that approached the center of her heart. “Is that better?”
“A little bit. Promise to pull over and call me if you start spacing out again?”
Punching him would definitely be inappropriate, not the least because he was all the way across town, and it would hurt her hand to punch the wall. “Okay. I’ll be there in a few minutes, I just want to find out what Jack knows.”
“Sure,” he said. “Drop me a text when you leave, and I’ll meet you in the apartment.”
“Sure.” She thought about telling him that she loved him— but it would ring false right now, and she didn’t want that. Not for either one of them. “Thanks, Mason.”
Funny. That seemed to mean even more, at least based on the warmth in his voice. “Of course, baby. I told you. I’m here for you.” But then he disconnected before she could say anything else in response.
She rubbed her hand over her eyes and tried to keep that feeling of centered calm close. It kept flitting away when she was least expecting it to disappear, leaving her on the edge of tears, or rage, or both at once. Her skin felt tight and sore where Randall had touched her, but there was no sign of redness or bruising.
She kept wandering back to what Jack had said. If he was the dirty cop, the one Declan had been working with...he might not be any stranger to murder at all. She knew she’d been walking a fine line back in her house but this was ridiculous.
She was never going back there, not ever again. She’d hire movers to pack up all her stuff and put it in storage until she found a permanent place to live. But her feet would never cross the threshold of that cursed place in this lifetime. Simple as that.
She changed her clothes and felt a bit better in clean jeans, clean underwear, and a clean bra. She even changed out of the shirt she’d bought that morning. She’d wash it, and see if she could bring herself to wear it again without thinking, “This is the shirt I wore the day I could have died.”
When she opened the door, Missy was standing there, her hand poised to knock. “Oh!” She jumped just a little, and Caroline would have been lying if she’d said she didn’t move a little too fast as well. “I’m sorry. You were— I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
Caroline stepped aside, letting Missy come in and sit down on the bed. Caroline leaned against the bureau. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to hold still if she sat down. “Can we talk?” Missy asked.
“If it’s about Mason, and how I should stay away from him, I’ve— Missy, I’ve heard you say it all already, and it’s not changing things for me. I know it’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever done in my life, and I am still doing it.” She found herself saying the words she hadn’t said to anyone but Mason, at least not like this. “I care about him. I love him. I can’t just walk away, and I can’t just pretend that he’s not in my life. He is, and he matters.”
Missy was shaking her head already. “Sweetie, I know that. And Mason… I worry about you two, but he’s one of the good ones. He’s been here for you every step of the way, keeping an eye on you and making sure that you’re as safe as he can make you. I get that. But I need to know you’re being careful.”
Caroline couldn’t
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