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GARRET

This weekend’s been great. On Saturday morning Sean called and asked if I needed help preparing the food. I didn’t need help, but I know Sean, and I knew he was asking if he could take over the cooking. He feels most comfortable when he’s in the kitchen. He’s one of those people who can’t sit and relax for very long. He likes to stay busy. So I agreed to let him help and we went to the grocery store and got some meat to put on the grill. Then he got some stuff for side dishes and I loaded up the cart with chips and other snack foods.

Around noon, everyone came over and just hung out on the deck or on the beach. It was exactly what Jade wanted. Just a relaxing day with friends and family.

It’s been great having Harper and Sean here. They were at our place until 2:30 this morning. It really sucks having them so far away. Jade still hasn’t made any friends here, other than Sara, but they’re not close friends. Jade and Harper talk on the phone a lot but it would still be good if Jade had a few more friends. I could use some more, too.

Today everyone arrived at 9 so Jade and I didn’t get much sleep, but that’s okay. We want to have plenty of time with everyone before they leave.

After lunch, as I’m cleaning up the kitchen, Frank comes in to get some water. Everyone else is outside, so I decide to ask him about Jade. I need to know what happened to her Friday night. When I ask him, it turns out he was wanting to talk to me about it as well.

“Jade struggles this time of year,” he says.

“I know she does, but she doesn’t like to talk about it.”

Frank nods. “It was traumatic for her to find her mother that way. And yet after it happened, she pretended like everything was fine. She went to school the next day, moved her things to my house, and that was it. She didn’t even cry at the funeral. The funeral was the day after her birthday. I wanted to wait but she wouldn’t let me. She just wanted it over with.”

“Maybe I pushed her too much with this party. I just wanted her to have a real birthday this year.

“I’m glad you did this for her, Garret. The party was difficult for her, but she needed it. And I’m glad you invited people to stay for the weekend. It’s good for her to be around friends and family, especially this time of year.”

“Why was she crying at the party? I haven’t asked her about it and she hasn’t said anything to me.”

Frank sighs. “She couldn’t accept the fact that all those people showed up just for her. It didn’t make sense to her. I’m sure you learned when you were dating her that Jade has trouble accepting love from people. She doesn’t think she deserves it. That’s why I was so surprised when she let you into her life the way she did. I knew you two were meant for each other when I saw how good you were with her. You really changed her, Garret. I don’t know how you did it.”

“It wasn’t easy. But I love her. I couldn’t give up on her. I never will.”

“All the years Jade lived with me, I could never get her to let her guard down. She refused to accept how much I cared for her. I treated her like a daughter but she acted like she was just a houseguest. I remember one day she was making dinner for Ryan and me and she dropped a plate and broke it. She said she was sorry over and over again, then ran to her room and began packing. She thought I’d kick her out of the house for that. As much as I tried to reassure her that would never happen, she didn’t believe me. That’s why she tried to be perfect all the time. She got perfect grades. She didn’t go out. She didn’t date much.”

“Because she thought you’d kick her out?”

“Yes. She was scared to death of that. Her mother used to get mad at her for every little thing and threaten to kick Jade out of the house. And when Jade was younger, her mother would threaten to leave if Jade made her mad. So now she’s afraid people will leave her if she upsets them in any way. On Friday when she told us she wasn’t going to med school, she was so nervous. She thought Ryan and I would reject her for that. It’s completely irrational but that’s how she thinks. So anyway, going back to the party the other night, she just had to remind herself that people actually do care about her.”

“That’s what I figured was going on. I just wasn’t sure. I don’t always know what to do for her.”

“Just keep doing what you’re doing. Jade’s finally happy and I credit a lot of that to you. You’re able to get through to her in a way nobody else can.”

“It doesn’t feel like it sometimes.”

“Just give her time. You’re very patient with her, which is exactly what she needs. Someone who’s patient and won’t give up on her.”

“I won’t give up. I’m in this for the long haul.”

“You better be. You married her.” He smiles. “I’ll see you out there.”

Frank goes back outside and I finish up cleaning.

That short conversation explained a lot, not just about Friday night, but about a lot of stuff, like why Jade worries so much about school and why she freaks out whenever we fight. Before today, I’ve never asked Frank about Jade, but I realize he’s the only one who really knows her history. And if I’m ever going to help her move forward, I need to know her past.

People start to leave late afternoon, and by evening everyone’s gone. Jade and I go to bed early. The weekend was fun but exhausting.

On Monday morning, Jade and I ride to campus together. She only has one class today but she wants to do some research at the library. Before we left, Jade got an email from her advisor asking if she’d like to meet with him today. He knows she dropped a class and usually when students do this, it prompts a meeting with your advisor, at least it does at small schools like this.

“Where are you meeting your advisor?” I ask as I park the car.

“I don’t know yet. He said he’ll email me later. His office is being renovated so he said he’d have to find a different room.”

I go around and open her door. “Call me when you know where you’ll be. I’ll just meet you over there since we’re going home after that.”

“Sounds good. Have a good day. Love you.”

“Love you, too.” I kiss her goodbye.

I go to class, then physical therapy over the lunch hour, then back to class. After my afternoon class I get a message from Jade saying she’s meeting her advisor in a building on the south side of campus. It’s an old building that isn’t used for classes anymore because it needs some repairs. Her advisor must be using one of the rooms for his temporary office.

Jade’s meeting is at 4 and it’s scheduled for a half hour so I go to the coffee shop to kill some time. Sara is there and sees me when I walk in.

“Hey, Sara.”

She comes over to me. “What can I get you?”

“I’ll just have coffee.” I sit down and set my backpack on the floor.

Sara sits across from me. “Hey, you know that man Jade was asking me about? Walt? Older man, kind of looks like a professor?”

“Yeah, what about him?”

“Jade asked if I got a weird vibe from him. I said I didn’t, but then I thought about it some more and, I don’t know, maybe there is something going on with him.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve noticed that he’s always in here whenever Jade’s in here. I figured they just had similar schedules. But then she dropped those classes and stopped coming here as much and Walt stopped coming here, too. But he still shows up on the other days she’s here. At the exact same time. It’s like he knows her schedule. Does that seem weird to you or do you think it’s just a coincidence?”

I grab my backpack and get up from the chair. “Hey, forget the coffee. I need to go. If Walt shows up here, call me. And if he asks about Jade, don’t tell him anything, okay?”

She nods. “Okay.”

I race to the door and when I get outside, I call Jade. She doesn’t answer. Why isn’t she answering? She always answers. I send her a text. She doesn’t text back.

Shit. Now I’m getting worried. Why the hell would that guy be tracking Jade’s schedule? And showing up at the coffee shop whenever she’s there? Is he following her? Who the hell is this guy?

What if that email from her advisor wasn’t really from him? Now that I think about it, why would her advisor want to meet in a building that’s no longer used and needs repairs? There are plenty of open rooms all over campus where they could’ve met.

This could’ve all been a setup. That Walt guy could be trying to lure Jade to an isolated area. But why? What does he want with her?

Maybe it’s not Walt. Maybe it’s that fake cop. He acted like Jade needed protection. Why would he say that?

Or what if the person who shot those guys in the parking lot saw Jade there that day and has been trying to find her? If he found her, he’d kill her. Shit!

I start running to the building. I don’t know what room she’s in, but I’ll check every damn one until I find her.

It’s now 4:10 and I’m hoping she’s just meeting with her advisor and not answering her phone because he doesn’t allow it during his meetings. It makes sense he’d say that, but it pisses me off because I need her to answer her phone!

I shouldn’t be freaking out like this. Jade’s fine. She’s safe. She’s with her advisor.

Fuck. Why don’t I believe that?

JADE

That guy, Walt, from the coffee shop, walks in the small room where I’m waiting for my advisor.

“I was supposed to meet my advisor in here,” I tell him. “Did you reserve this room? Maybe I’m supposed to be in a different room.” I pick my backpack off the floor and get up from the chair.

“You’re in the right room. You’re not meeting with your advisor. That email was from me.” He stands in front of the door, blocking it. “Sit down, Jade.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I sent you that email so I could get you in a private place where we could talk.”

“Talk about what?” I slowly sit down, letting my backpack drop to the floor.

“You.”

“What about me?”

He looks at his phone and doesn’t answer.

“Who are you?” I ask, but again he doesn’t answer. “You’re not a consultant, are you? And you don’t work for the college.”

“Actually, I am a consultant.” He puts his phone away. “But I don’t work for the college.”

I start to panic, my heart racing. He doesn’t work for the college? So he lied to me? Why would he lie? Why would he lure me to this room? Does he know about Royce? Or the organization? Or maybe he’s part of the organization.

“What are we doing here?” I ask him.

“We’re going to have a little chat. And then we’ll decide what to do with you.”

What does that mean? What is he going to do to me? I search the room for another way out, but there is no other way. He’s blocking the only exit.

“Who’s ‘we’?” I ask him.

“I work for someone. He’ll be here shortly.”

Shit! There’s another one? I was thinking I could probably escape from Walt, but I can’t get away from two men. They’ll hold me down or tie my hands or—what if they take me somewhere?

My mind starts imagining all kinds of horrible scenarios just as my phone rings. I reach for my backpack to get it but Walt rushes over and grabs it, then blocks the door again.

“I need your full attention here, Jade.”

“Okay, you have my attention.” I say it as calmly as possible. I need to appear strong and unaffected by his scare tactics. “Go ahead. Say what you need to say.”

“This ends now. All of it. Your relationship with Garret. Your involvement with Grace Sinclair. The money. The car. The lifestyle. It all ends now.”

My heart’s thumping so hard I can hear it.

“What are you talking about? I don’t know what you—” I stop when I see the door behind him swing open.

I hear footsteps as the other man enters the room. He turns to shut the door. I can’t see his face, but I can see that he’s tall and thin and wearing a dark suit.

Walt steps aside and the other man walks up and stands in front of me.

“Hello, Jade.” He stares down at me, his eyes narrowed, his arms crossed over his chest.

I recognize this man. He’s from the organization. He’s a member.

I’ve never met him before.

But I know his name.

And I know who he is. I know exactly who he is.