Page 31 of Since the Day We Kissed

“It’s been,” Ethan rubbed his jaw, feeling the day-old stubble scratch against his palm, “a lot. Non-stop since I arrived yesterday.”

“Walk me through it, Ethan. What’s been going on?”

“Heh. Where do I even start?” Ethan exhaled slowly, his fingers drumming on the table. “I guess when I first got to the house ...”

As Ethan recounted the events, his eyes remained fixed on the computer screen. The psychiatrist’s image occasionally froze for a split second before catching up, her head nodding in gentle encouragement. Occasionally, her gaze shifted slightly to the side, perhaps glancing at her notes or typing something into the computer out of view.

In the corner of the video feed, Ethan watched the call duration tick upward: ten minutes ... fifteen ... twenty ...

A slight crease appeared on Dr. Hartman’s forehead as she listened, her posture unchanged except for the occasional shift in her chair.

A notification popped up on his screen:Battery Low: 20% remaining.

Ethan blinked, realizing how long he had been talking.

“And you just found out about this?” she asked. “About the missing deed?”

“Last night,” Ethan said. “Anyway, I gotta find it soon.”

“I see. It’s got to be tough dealing with all of your late father’s affairs.”

“Wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t for the deed. Thought I’d be back home in a few days. But now? I’m looking at a week, minimum. And if it doesn’t turn up? The lawyer’s talking about courts, legal proceedings.” Ethan ran a hand through his hair. “Says it could drag on for years. I just—” He sighed, rolling his shoulders. “I need this over with to move on, you know?”

Dr. Hartman nodded. “I understand. I would be just as frustrated.”

“Well, I’m not thrilled about it. And then last night, there was this accident.” He shook his head.

“An accident? What happened?”

“This girl crashed into a tree on the side of the road. Right outside the house. The rain was terrible last night, but by some miracle, she wasn’t badly injured.”

“Sounds like she was very fortunate.”

Ethan nodded. “Yeah, actually ran into her today. And then ... well, I saw someone else I knew.”

Dr. Hartman raised a brow. “Really?”

Ethan sighed. “Yeah. Kara.”

“Kara? As intheKara we’ve discussed before?”

“Yeah, that Kara. Right before our session, I was grabbing something to eat in town. Ended up at this animal rescue event. And who do I see? Charlotte—the girl from the accident—introducing me to her mom. And of all people, it’s Kara.”

“Small world. What do you think about all of this?”

Ethan laughed. “That I’ve forgotten what this town is like—everyone knows everyone, and everyone knows everyone’s business too.”

“And how was it talking with Kara again?”

“It was ...” Ethan thought back to the conversation. “Surreal. Her face went pale when she saw me. Can’t blame her.”

“What did you talk about?”

Ethan shrugged. “The animal rescue, mostly. Then her daughter suggested I volunteer there. Can you believe it?”

“Didn’t you enjoy volunteering at the other animal rescue?”

“Yeah, but—” Ethan’s head snapped up. “Wait, you think that’s a good idea? I mean don’t you think it seems like a lot?”

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