Page 97 of Holding Grace

“We can’t talk about this here. Let’s go inside.”

He’d lost his mind.

“You think I’m letting you inside my apartment with me alone? Not a chance. Say what you have to say and leave. For good. You’re lucky I’m not screaming my head off as it is.”

“Not here.” He paused as two more people passed by. “We need somewhere private. Look, I took a big risk coming here. You want to hear what I have to tell you.”

“Fine, but I’m not going anywhere with you. Is your phone number still the same?”

“Yeah,” he frowned. “Why?”

“I’ll talk to my giant and I’ll let you know where we can meet you.”

Seth’s eyes darted back and forth, scanning the street behind me nervously. “It has to be today. Ellis can’t know I was here.”

That got my attention. Seth had followed along behind Ellis for as long as I could remember. What could he have to tell me that he didn’t want Ellis to know?

It could be a trick. But it didn’t feel like one.

“It will be tonight,” I said firmly, having no clue if that was true. “Now go away and I’ll call you in a while.”

To my shock Seth did as I’d said. Hands in his pockets he slunk down the street looking this way and that, looking as shifty as a sleazy character in a low-budget movie. If he was trying to avoid calling attention to himself, he was doing a terrible job of it.

I watched until he turned the corner. The second he was out of sight adrenaline shot through me. I dashed through the front door of the building, sprinted up the stairs, and slammed through the apartment door like the hounds of hell were nipping at my heels.

I locked the door behind me and slid to the floor nearly panting with panic. I pulled my knees to my chest, rested my forehead on them, and made myself take a slow breath, then another, and another, until my heart no longer threatened to beat its way out of my chest. I slowly unfolded my legs and tipped my head back against the door.

It had happened.

The thing I’d worried about, planned for, feared for years, had happened.

And I’d gotten through it.

Not only that, I’d made Seth walk away and demanded to meet him on my own time and my own terms.

Hands still shaking with adrenaline, I pulled my phone from my bag to call Michael. The sooner we could meet Seth and send him on his way, the better.

“Hi, sweetheart.”

Tears sprung to my eyes at the sound of Michael’s voice, and I blinked them back.

“Hi. Are you on your way home?”

“I’m on my way up the stairs. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m okay.”

“You sound shaky. Where are you?”

On the floor. In front of the door Michael was about to walk through.

I pushed to my feet and walked on unsteady legs to lower myself on a kitchen chair. “I’m home.”

As I finished speaking, Michael came through the door. He must have sprinted the rest of the way to the apartment. He rushed over to me and dropped to a crouch in front of me.

“What happened? Don’t tell me nothing.”

I had to swallow before I could get the words out. “I saw Seth.”

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