Page 133 of Until the Sea Runs Dry

“Open your eyes now, Jane.”

The voice was gentle yet commanding.

She turned in the inky blackness, tried to follow the sound of it, knowing instinctively that it led to safety.

“Come on, open your eyes now. You are safe, Jane. Breathe.”

Her eyes flicked open.

Black spots clouded the edge of her vision but she was able to recognize the stunning house, the white leather armchair she sat on, and the adorable Australian Shepherd puppy who lay beside her, watching her every reaction with his ice-blue eyes.

She sucked in a greedy lungful of air even though she didn’t need it.

“How do you feel?”

“Shaken.” Jane admitted, wrapping her arms around her to ward of the chill of the memories. “What do you think happened to me?”

“I’m not entirely sure but the answers lie on that boat and with whoever that man is.”

“I couldn’t see his face at all, not any identifying feature.”

“I’m sure that’s your mind trying to protect you, but it will come back to you, and sooner than you think judging by our progress today. You’re coming along in leaps and bounds.”

Jane wished she could share his enthusiasm, but there was only a deep apprehension in her heart.

Light emittedfrom the giant plasma television that covered the end of the wall, though the sound was muted. Nestled under the covers in bed, Jane cuddled with Loki. Exhausted after her session and the stresses of the night, an afternoon nap seemed the best way to go.

But, try as she might, she hadn’t been able to fall asleep without those vivid glimpses of her past assaulting her mind. For what must have been the twentieth time today, she checked her phone, hoping that Logan had called or sent a message, but her notifications were empty.

She wished she had something to do, but everything here was taken care of, even Loki’s meals for the next few days. Kitty had gone into overdrive, prepping more than enough for the dog.

She reached for the remote, flipping the channels in her search for something to take her mind off things when Logan’s face flashed up on the screen. It was footage of him at a coffee shop. It wouldn’t have been of any interest to her until she caught a glimpse of the clothes he was wearing — they were the exact clothes he had left for work in today.

Frowning, she glanced at the scroll bar at the bottom of the screen, which announced that the footage had been captured only minutes ago on Santa Monica Boulevard.

But what was he doing there, when he was supposed to be at work?

She unmuted the television to hear the anchor discussing who Logan’s mysterious — and very good-looking — companion might be.

Jane didn’t see who they were talking about, as Logan sat alone at the table, but within moments, a striking brunette appeared with two coffees.

Long-legged and lithe with the kind of curves most women would wish for, the woman wore giant sunglasses on her face, but they did nothing to hide the stunning, pouty lips or the perfect cheekbones that only great genetics could bring.

Logan sat close to her, their heads bowed together as they spoke in intimate fashion.

A hammer smashed into Jane’s heart, breaking it into a million pieces.

It was his birthday today, but rather than spend it with her, he had snuck off to meet with this other, very stunning woman.

What a fool she had been to trust him, to believe that he could love an ordinary woman like her!

Tears stung her eyes as she dialed Clare’s number. Her friend picked up after a few rings, sounding out of breath.

“Jane? You OK?”

She didn’t want to get into the whole sordid tale on the phone.

“Are you free today? I was hoping that I might be able to see you?”

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