Page 95 of Fracture
Lorelei chuckled. “Yeah. Not my first broken bone, unfortunately.”
“Are you remembering more stuff?”
“Yeah. It’s weird what comes back and what doesn’t. I know there are big holes in my memory. Things that feel like they’re right there, but when I reach for them, they scatter.”
“Maybe you’re not ready to deal with those yet.”
“Probably, but the longer it is, the more worried I’m not going to remember. The attack… I don’t want to relive it, but I know it’s important. I know there’s something from the time I am missing that will make a huge difference.”
“Have you thought about hypnosis or something like that?”
Lorelei nodded. “Yeah, but trusting people is still hard.”
Jessica inhaled deep. “I know that feeling.”
“I still can’t believe this one case has affected so many people in the same group.”
“We know each other, so we have connections that were vulnerable. That were taken advantage of.”
“I guess that makes sense.”
Jessica pulled into the apartment lot and parked.
“Do you want to come up?”
Jessica shook her head. “No, but thanks. Braden should be getting home soon.”
Lorelei grinned. “I know you’re anxious to see him. Thanks for the ride. I know I’ll see you soon.”
Jessica hugged Lorelei. “I hope so.”
Lorelei said goodbye and got out, heading up to the apartment. Her ankle was sore by the time she made it upstairs, but she was happy to be home.
Vinnie’s home. But close enough. Lorelei decided after her talk with Adam the day before that she was going to tell Vinnie how she felt. That she was going to let him know all about Mark and why things ended and how she threw herself into work after that and tried to prove him wrong but only ended up getting herself kidnapped. How Vinnie was?—
Lorelei stopped at the door. Her bags were packed. Literally. Sitting just inside the front door and ready for her to go.
“No,” she said, closing the door and locking it before stomping through the apartment to find Vinnie.
He wasn’t there, of course. She knew he wasn’t there when she walked in.
She went back to the living room and stared at the luggage. A note was tucked into the handle of one of the suitcases.
Lorelei didn’t want to read the note. She didn’t want to see his dismissal of her. She wasn’t done with him. She couldn’t believe he was done with her.
Lorelei stared at the note like it was going to attack her and dug in her handbag for her phone. She glanced away from the note long enough to pull up Karli’s name and tap.
“Are you okay? I thought Jessica was taking you back to Vinnie’s,” Karli said as she answered the phone.
“She did. But Vinnie’s at work and all my stuff is packed.”
“What? He packed your things?”
Lorelei nodded. “Yeah. I came home, here, whatever, ready to tell him I’m in love with him, and he’s ready to push me out the door.”
“Don’t let him.”
“What do you mean? It’s his apartment.”