Page 62 of Forbidden Dark Vows

Closing the book softly, I stand up and look away as he struggles to get the food between his lips.

“Where are you going?” Mom narrows her eyes at me.

“To call Harry.” I don’t wait around for her to object.

I use the payphone in the hospital foyer to call the number of the hotel just outside of Diablo Lake that Harry was checking into.

He sounds distracted when he picks up, like he’s rearranging the furniture in the room. “How’s your dad?”

“He’s eating bagels.” I don’t want to talk about anything else.

But Harry must understand. “Are you okay, Ruby? Do you want me to come to Chicago?”

“I’m fine.” I’ve managed to hold the tears at bay so far, but one look at Harry and I’ll melt into a sloppy puddle. “Did you find your sister?”

I hear the deep inhale. “No, whoever the lead thinks they saw, she moved on a couple of days ago. There’s been another potential sighting in Washington, but I’m not sure I’ll even bother checking it out.”

“You must, Harry.” Even though the phone has given his voice a tinny edge, I’m getting tiny shivers of excitement running up and down my spine. “You can’t ignore it.”

“I’d rather be with you.”

My pulse quickens. “Go to Washington. I’ll still be here.” Pause. I can hear rustling from the other end of the line. “Are you packing?”

“Ruby, I’ve got to go.” There’s a bluntness to his tone that I haven’t heard before, and the excitement of hearing his voice is replaced by something cold and slimy.

“What’s wrong, Harry? What’s happen?—”

“It’s nothing. I’ll call you when I get to Washington.” The line goes dead, leaving the buzz of the dialing tone in my ear.

I’m still thinking about Harry when I get back to my dad’s room.It’s nothing. That’s what people say when there’s a whole load of something going on, and they don’t want anyone else involved. I know he’s trying to protect me, but there’s only so many secrets a relationship can handle.

My dad has barely nibbled the edge of the bagel. His eyes are closed, his lips slack, saliva creating a slick trail down his chin. I wipe it with a towel while my mom wraps the bagels back up. Dad doesn’t move, and I stare at his chest waiting for the rise and fall of his breaths to still my skipping heart.

Mom grabs her purse and heads to the door.

“Where are you going?” She just got here.

“I have to run some errands.” Mom-speak for she’s going to get her hair done or get a manicure or there’s a new dress she spotted in a boutique in the mall. “I’ll have to take some time off when your dad comes home, and the cupboards won’t stock themselves.”

“I’ll come with you.”

She furrows her brow. “Funny, I thought you were going out of your way to avoid me.”

She has a point, but I’m not going to admit it. “I’ve been worried about Dad.” I grab my coat off the back of the chair and follow her to the door. The sooner we have this discussion the better.

“I’m perfectly capable of running errands alone, you know.” She stands in front of the door like she might bolt the instant I look away.

She’ll never buy it if I say that I want to spend some time with her, so instead, I shrug. “I need stuff too.”

Her gaze lingers on my dad who looks peaceful in slumber. I wish I knew what she was thinking, but she paints on this tough exterior like battle armor every morning, and the only person who gets to see her without it is my dad.

We don’t speak until we’re outside. The streets are still wet from last night’s frost, and car tires swish past, occasionally sending a ripple of water across the sidewalk.

There’s no point pussyfooting around her, so I just come out with it. “Mom, what happened between Dad and Karl Weiss?”

Her eyes dart towards me without reaching my face, and she sidesteps around a man trying to offer her a leaflet. “I’m not dragging this up again now, Ruby,” she says when our steps fall into sync again.

“When then? I need to know, so that I can fix it.”

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