Page 105 of Nineteen Letters

“Well, I hope for your sake that this devious plan of yours works.”

“Me too,” I say as I text Stephen.

Me: Hi Dad, it’s Jemma. I’m not in the bathroom, I snuck out. You two seemed to be getting on okay, so I wanted you to have some time alone, to hopefully sort things out. Mum would never admit it, but I know she still loves you. Don’t worry about me, I’m in the car with Braxton. He’s driving me home. I’m sorry for deceiving you both, and I hope you’re not angry with me. Can you please make sure Mum gets home safely?

A few minutes later, I received a reply.

Stephen: Your mother has just gone to look for you. And I’m not angry. I’m grateful, extremely grateful. You’ve pulled off the impossible tonight, kiddo. I can’t thank you enough. I’m not going to get my hopes up, but this is the first time your mother has spoken to me in years. Thank you, pumpkin. I’ll make sure she gets home okay. Love Dad.

“What did he say?” Braxton asks.

“Things are going well.”

I see him smile as he continues to watch the road. “I’m proud of you for doing this.” He reaches across the centre console andgrabs my hand. Butterflies flutter in my stomach when he laces his fingers through mine.

“So, I snuck out before we even ordered … Can I share that pizza with you? I’m starved.”

“Absolutely,” he says, his face lighting up. “Do you want to come to the beach house, or would you prefer to go to Christine’s?”

I’d like nothing more than to spend the remainder of my evening with him. “The beach house is fine.”

It’s close to midnight when Braxton pulls into Christine’s driveway. The house is bathed in darkness, so she’s still out with my father, or in bed. I’m fine with either one—I don’t want to face her tonight in case she’s still upset with me.

At the beach house, I finally got to see the back deck lit up by the lanterns and fairy lights. It was as beautiful as I imagined it would be.

We ordered a pizza and ate outside by candlelight. We stayed out there until the wind whipped up, and Braxton suggested we move inside. We ended up watching a movie together on the sofa. It was nice—there was no kissing or making out, but I was okay with that. I was acutely aware of his leg touching mine the whole time, though.

“Thanks for coming to rescue me tonight, and for the pizza and the movie,” I say, when we reach the front door.

“It was my pleasure. Thank you for the company.”

Leaning forward, he places a soft kiss on my cheek. It’s sweet, but I really wouldn’t have minded if he kissed my lips instead. “Sweet dreams, Jem.”

“Goodnight.”

“Sweetheart,” Christine says, stroking my long brown hair as I sob into my pillow. “We’ll find Annabelle. She’s probably packed inside one of the boxes.”

“Daddy said he looked inside the boxes and Annabelle wasn’t there.”

“She’ll turn up.”

“She won’t … she’s gone forever. Who am I going to play with now?”

“What about Bradley next door? He seemed like a nice boy,” she says in a soft voice. “I bet you two will end up being the best of friends.”

I raise my head from the pillow, turning my face towards her, but my vision is clouded by tears. “His name is Braxton,” I reply. “Not Bradley.”

“Sorry. Braxton.” Christine wraps my small body in her arms, rocking me gently.

“Found her!”

I pull back to see a breathless Stephen standing in the doorway of my bedroom. He’s holding Annabelle in the air, with a huge smile on his face. “She was in the car … lodged under the back seat.”

“Annabelle!” I cry out joyfully, leaping off the bed.

A smile tugs on my lips when I hear Christine humming in the kitchen. That’s a good sign …I hope.

“Morning,” I say, poking my head around the corner.