Page 25 of Awakening

Seven

Ethan

“Where is she? It’s been twenty minutes,” I say, pacing my living room.

“She’ll be here,” Nick says. “She said it’s important.”

Chloe finally walks in the door with a huge smile on her face. “I have news,” she says. “Amazing news.”

Nick and I look at each other and then pin our hopeful eyes on her. “What is it?” I ask.

“I saw Olivia. She’s safe.”

My heart thunders in my chest as I take a step toward her. “What? Where is she?”

“She’s in Denver, just like we thought.”

“Why isn’t she here with you? Did you leave her there? Why wouldn’t you bring her home?” Chloe bites her lip and looks at Nick like she’s seeking protection. “Why would you go to see her without saying anything to me? I should have been there, Chloe,” I say as I pace the room.

“Chloe,” Nick says, “what’s going on?”

“I was told it was best for her well-being for me to go alone.”

“What? Why?” Nick asks with a frown.

“Things are a little…complicated,” Chloe says.

My patience is wearing thinner by the second. I need to know what happened to Olivia. “Chloe, please?—”

“Ethan, there are some things you need to know,” she says.

“All I need is to be with my mate, Chloe. I’m sure she’s wondering where the hell I am. What the fuck are we doing standing here?”

“Please, Ethan. You need to listen to me and prepare yourself.”

“Prepare myself for what? She’s the woman who got hit by the car, isn’t she? Is she hurt?”

Chloe nods. “We were right. That was her.”

“I fucking knew it.”

“She’ll be okay, but you need to listen to me before I can take you to her.”

Throwing my hands out to my sides, I say, “I don’t understand. If we know where she is, I should be with her. What’s with the hesitation?”

“Just listen, man. It must be important,” Nick urges.

“Then hurry up and tell me. This is fucking killing me, Chloe.”

“I got a call this morning from someone who used to be in Olivia’s life. He’s a doctor at the hospital we went to in Denver, and he recognized Olivia in the ER. He says she was brought in by ambulance after being hit by the car. She was unconscious and had no ID on her, so it’s really lucky that he happened to see her.”

“But, she’s okay now?” I ask as I think of my sweet Olivia waking up in the hospital all alone. “She must have been so scared.” Thoughts of this other man being there when she woke up to comfort her tear at my insides. It should have been me. “This doctor, Chloe—how was he in Olivia’s life before?”

Chloe sighs and fidgets with her hands. “They dated.” The hair on the back of my neck stands up. Everything in me already says this guy isn’t the great savior Chloe thinks him to be. “His name is Anthony Moretti. Nick, you remember him, right?”

“Oh, yeah,” Nick says, then looks at me. “I know you don’t like hearing this, but I remember him being a pretty good guy. He didn’t seem like the type to pull anything shady.”

I can feel my face turning red. “Yeah. I’m sure that’s why he insisted that Chloe go to see Olivia alone. Because he’s not shady.” Crossing my arms, I shake my head. “Where is she now? Did she ask for me?”

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