Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 138683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
I’d never wanted to be a burden, not when she had two children, a family, but I’d honestly had nowhere else to turn last night. Nowhere else to go.
I’d truly, completely lost it all.
I sank down onto the side of the bed.
Lost.
Disoriented.
Tortured.
My gaze landed where I’d set the little round locket on the nightstand last night. The one Bobby had forever kept clutched in his hand. I reached for it, pressed it to my lips, and whispered, “I’m so sorry, Bobby. I’m so sorry I let you down. How didn’t I know you were sick? That something was wrong? God.”
Tears blurred my sight, and I ran the back of my hand frantically over my face like it could clear the haze, and I opened the locket to the four little pictures of our family inside.
My brother who’d tried to keep me close when he’d been so far away.
“Why did you have to go?”
My mouth kept tweaking at the side as I stared at the images.
The memories so good, but when they were gone, the pain was so great.
A frown curled my brow when I realized each of the pictures was indented.
Squinting, I tried to make them out, realizing they were numbers inscribed on the back.
My hands started shaking when I carefully peeled one from its setting, confusion clouding my senses as I turned it over and saw the individual number written on it.
I repeated it with the other three pictures. Each had a different number.
My stomach swooped in awareness.
The safe.
The safe I’d found in his closet. I’d never been able to open it, so I’d put it in the storage locker with the rest of his things without ever knowing what was inside.
Oh my gosh, I might be able to get into it.
It was weird to suddenly blaze with hope in the middle of this relentless grief, but it was there, the excitement of finding another piece of Bobby.
Frantic, I rushed to change into a pair of jeans and a tee that I’d left here after a drunken night.
I shoved my feet into the same heels I’d had on last night, swiping the tears from my face as I pressed the pictures back into the locket and put it into my pocket.
I scrambled downstairs, my breaths rapid as I raced into the kitchen where Eden was feeding Baby Kate in her highchair. “I need to borrow your car.”
Surprise twisted her face. There was no chance she didn’t notice the change in my demeanor.
This hysteria that streaked through my veins.
I didn’t know why. I just knew I had to get there. To see what was inside.
What if Bobby had left me a message, something important, something that he would want me to know?
“Are you sure? Give me one second, and I can drive you.”
“No, I’ll be right back. I just need to go grab something.”
“Tessa.” Worry filled my name.
I forced a bright smile, which probably made me look like a lunatic since my hair was a disaster and my face was stained with tears. “I’m good. I promise. I’ll be right back. Besides, you told me whatever I need, remember?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Someone knows how to twist my arm, doesn’t she?”
I choked over the affection as I snagged her keys from the counter. “It’s only because you love me.”
Everything about her softened. “Mad, mad love.”
Baby Kate squealed and giggled, a balm to those vacant places that felt so raw and abraded.
I blew them both a kiss. “Mad, mad love.”
Then I turned and ran into their garage, punched the button to lift it, and I was flying down the road in Eden’s Mercedes.
Taking deep breaths to steady myself.
Completely entrenched in this mission.
I punched in the code to open the security gate of the storage facility. It swung open, and I took the fourth turn into the aisle where Bobby’s locker was located. I parked in front of it, jumped out, and immediately started spinning the padlock combo. When it gave, I unhooked it and rolled open the metal door.
Dust billowed out, curling and dancing through the rays of sunlight from the absolute stillness that echoed from inside.
I choked over the pain that stabbed me in the stomach.
He was gone.
He was gone.
I brushed away the fresh round of tears and moved directly for the little safe that was on top of his old dresser. I pulled out the locket and removed the pictures again, turning them upside down.
It took me only a second of shuffling them around to realize it was my birthdate.
0921.
I punched in the code, and the safe buzzed before the latch gave, and I rushed to open it.
Disappointment hit me hard when I found it was empty.
Except…it wasn’t.
There was a pocket on the right side, and I dug into it to find one of those tiny manila envelopes. I tore it open and dumped its contents into my palm.