Page 31

Me: Please don’t remind me.

Wes: I’ll never speak of it again.

I smiled down at my phone, glad Wes was in good enough spirits that he could still joke around with me. I let out a sigh as I remembered why he was hurting. Why we both were. My encounter with Noah last night hadn’t made me feel any better about our breakup. It was clear he was in pain over it—perhaps as much as I was. That only made me want answers more. Answers I was hoping to get from Matthew when I visited New York next week.

At least, that was the plan. First, I had to figure out if I could get my father to spare some time to meet with me while I was there. It was after 9 A.M., so it wasn’t too early to give him a call. Now was as good a time as any.

I went into the bathroom and closed the door so I wouldn’t wake Cress up before I dialed his number. It rang three times before there was an answer.

“LaFleur residence.”

It was hard not to be disappointed. I’d been hoping to get straight through to my father, but apparently that wasn’t possible, even on a Saturday.

“Hey, Caldwell, it’s Isobel.”.

“Good morning, Miss Grace.”

“Is my father around?”

“I’m afraid not. He’s at the lab and will be unavailable all day.”

I let out a sigh.

“Is there anything I can help you with?”

I was about to tell him no and hang up, but then I wondered if maybe he could be of some help. Caldwell probably knew my dad’s schedule better than Matthew himself.

“Actually, yeah. I was wondering if my father has plans on Friday next week? I’m going to be in New York for a school field trip and was hoping to see him.”

“I’m afraid Mr. LaFleur has meetings scheduled at his office all day on that Friday,” Caldwell replied.

“Well, I was thinking of staying the weekend too. Has he got any time then...”

“While he’s in New York, he plans to work every day, even the weekends,” Caldwell replied. “His schedule is extremely tight at the moment, but I believe he’s allotted some time to come to Weybridge the following weekend. Is that suitable for you?”

I let out another sigh. “Yeah, that’s fine.” Apparently, seeing my father was like trying to schedule an appointment with the doctor. You had to book it weeks in advance, and even then, it was near impossible to get in.

“I will inform Mr. LaFleur that you’ll be in the city. If any time opens up, I’ll be in contact.”

I didn’t hold out much hope. “Thanks, Caldwell.”

I hung up the phone feeling defeated. I knew it was just one extra week of waiting to see my father, but the questions churning inside my gut were killing me. I wanted answers now. Not weeks from now. There wasn’t even any guarantee my father would come back to Weybridge when he planned. He was always so busy, and there was every chance he’d get caught up with work and stay in New York.

A light knock sounded at the door as I exited the bathroom, and I turned to see Anna barreling into the room. She was all dressed for the day and looking wide-awake. It was like witnessing a miracle. I’d never seen Anna look so peppy first thing in the morning. Let alone on a weekend when she’d been out drinking the night before.

“Are you ready?” she asked me.

“For…”

“Your driving lesson, obviously.”

I’d forgotten she’d offered to help me drive my new car. A part of me had hoped she’d been joking and would forget all about it.

“You’re here first thing in the morning to teach me how to drive?”

“Yeah, I couldn’t sleep. I have serious regrets over the guy I kissed last night, and I keep visualizing it every time I close my eyes.”

“You kissed Angus again?”