Page 67 of Since the Day We Kissed

She stared at the screen for a moment, her mind circling back to Charlotte.

I’ll just have to be honest and straightforward. “Charlotte, I’ve discovered something about your father, and it’s time you knew the truth.”

That’s it! No sugarcoating, no beating around the bush. She deserves the whole truth, and I’m gonna give it to her.

Kara took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she knew she had to do.

With newfound resolve, she picked up her phone again, ready to call her daughter and set things in motion.

After three rings, she answered.

“Hey, Mom!”

“Hey sweetie! How are you?”

“Uh, fine. Just helping Grandpa.”

Kara’s chest tightened at the mention of her dad.

“Oh. Where are you?”

“Shoot, I forgot to text you, didn’t I? I’m at the pharmacy. Grandpa got swamped with a big delivery and asked for a hand.”

Of course she’s there.

Kara took a slow breath. “Oh, okay. Do you know when you’ll be done?”

“Mm, probably another couple hours,” Charlotte said, then paused. “Wait, is something wrong? Do you need me to come home?”

Kara hesitated.Should I wait? Maybe it’d be easier if I just held off until later?But no, waiting had never made things easier. She’d spent two decades waiting for the “right” time, and it hadn’t come.Dad’s gonna be livid if I tell her. But this isn’t about him. Not anymore.

“Actually, sweetie, I think I’ll come meet you there. Is that okay?”

There was a beat of silence on the other end. “Meet me here? Mom, what’s going on? You’re really starting to freak me out.”

You’ve made it this far. Don’t turn back now.

“It’s nothing bad,” Kara quickly added, trying to ease the worry in her daughter’s voice. “I just have something important I need to talk to you about, and I’d rather it not wait.”

“Important enough that you can’t wait two hours? Mom, seriously, what’s happening?”

Kara took a deep breath. “It’s complicated, honey. I’ll explain everything when I get there.”

There was another pause, longer this time. When Charlotte finally responded, her voice was quiet. “Yeah, okay, but you’re really scaring me.”

“I know, sweetie. I’m sorry, but I’ll be there soon.”

24

Ethan

Thesafedoorcreakedopen, and Ethan’s gaze locked on the dim interior. His hands shook as he reached in, the cool metal brushing his fingertips before he pulled out the contents.

Please, let it be here.

Hero shifted beside him, as if sensing the change in the air. His tail thumped on the floor, but he remained quiet, his eyes steady on Ethan, as if he too were waiting.

A bright yellow envelope, crisp and official, stood out among the clutter.

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