Page 52 of Chasing Sarah

I hurriedly finish my shower and slam my hand down on the lever, shutting off the water. Wrapping my towel around my waist, I storm into the bedroom. Only to find it empty.

With a snarl, I march down the hallway and into the kitchen.

Sarah is perched on the counter with her legs crossed, munching down on a slice of toast. I stand in front of her, blocking her view from the window. She peers up at me and her unbothered expression sends my simmering blood to a boil.

“Yes?” she asks, taking another bite of her toast. She reaches for her glass of orange juice, keeping her eyes on mine as she takes a drink.

I open my mouth but quickly close it when I hear the chime of my phone.

“This isn’t over.” I stare pointedly at her before striding to the bedroom.

“Fuck.” I toss the phone onto the bed and move to dress as fast as possible.

The Changs are an old couple who immigrated from China in their 20’s and who helped me after I got the shit kicked out of me when I first moved to the US. I was a young teen who weighed maybe a buck-ten soaking wet and was alone while Declan, his old man, and Emily flew to Ireland to visit their ma.

No one knew I’d gone out alone. No one paid much attention to the kid Conor Moore took in from the streets after his son begged him.

I was homeless in Ireland. Living on the streets after my parents abandoned me on the side of a road. Luckily, it wasn’t long before I met Declan. We became fast friends and in no time, he became my brother and we moved to the US.

The night I got my ass kicked; the Changs took me inside their home. Mrs. Chang tended to my wounds while Mr. Chang chased the assailants away with a fucking golfclub. Since then, they’ve been protected by the Irish Mafia as a thank-you from Declan.

Very few know our connection, and those who do know not to mess with them.

Rhys comes barreling down the hallway. His face is twisted in anger and frustration.

“What’s going on?” I ask, hopping off the counter.

“Stay here,” he barks, swiping his keys from the table and marching toward the door.

“Rhys.” He glances over his shoulder when he swings the door open. “Tell me what’s wrong.” I shake my head with a frown.

“I’ve gotta go.”

The wall shakes when the door slams behind him.

What in the?

Holding my arms outward, I scoff. “Oookay?”

I’m off work today so what the fuck am I going to do while I wait around for Rhys to finish whatever it is he’s doing?

With Paige gone, my only option is to reach out to Karley but to be honest, that doesn’t sound even remotely appealing. Add the fact I’m not close to Hank’s gym, it’s safe to say, I am in for an uneventful day.

I glance at the clock and see it’s just past 7 a.m. I scan Rhys’ apartment and a thrill fills my stomach.

“I mean… Iamalone in the house of a guy whoclearlydoes some sketchy shit.” I chuckle. “It seems only fair that I investigate.”

I skip down the hallway and push open the first door.This is going to be fun.

By 10 a.m. I’m bored out of my fucking mind. Rhys’ space is built like a miniature Fort Knox. I can’t get into anything without codes or fingerprints. It’s irrationally irritating. I don’t know why I’d expect snooping through his apartment to be easy.

Heading to Rhys’ room, I pull out my laptop from my bag and plop down on the bed. I need to find something to do. Sitting around for too long is a dangerous game I don’t enjoy playing.

It brings on an overwhelming sense of loss and the emptiness that sits in my chest expands.

You know the stages of grief? I think I’m still somewhere in the vicinity of denial and depression.

I quickly typestuff to do near mein the search bar. Very original, I know. But I’m becoming desperate and it’s still morning. I chew at the frayed skin by my fingernails as I scroll through the different options that loaded on the page.

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