Page 46 of Seeking Shadows

My jaw clenches. Charlie’s always intense, but there’s something in her tone that sticks. Something that tells me this isn’t just her usual bullshit.

I run my tongue over my teeth, forcing my breath to even out.

"Is this serious?"

On the other end, she hesitates. Just for a second.

But it’s long enough to send a chill down my spine.

"Yes," she replies, her voice firm, without any trace of provocation. "So take a deep breath, pretend you're okay, and listen to me."

"What?"

“Okay, Zane, maybe you’ll want to sit down for what I’m about to tell you.”

“Why would I need to sit?” My voice comes out dry, having no patience for her games.

Charlie lets out a low chuckle on the other end of the line, but then sighs. “Because this could change everything.”

I run my hand over my face, leaving traces of blood on it without realizing it. I’m exhausted. “You always talk like that. Just say it.”

“I just think you should prepare yourself,” she continues, ignoring my irritation. “You know, emotionally.”

My patience is at its limit. “Charlie.”

“I know you started all this because you wanted answers from Mia, and you actually don’t give a damn about the cause.”

My jaw clenches. “And why did you let me continue if you knew?”

“Because you needed it,” she replies, as if it were obvious. “I didn’t want to see you go into your isolation phase again after everything you’ve been through. So I let you do what you needed to do.”

I close my eyes for a moment. “You act like you know what’s best for me.”

“I know,” she replies without hesitation. “You may not like it, but I know. Don’t pretend you didn’t notice.”

I let out a humorless laugh. “And what else do you know about me, since you’re so smart?”

Charlie seems to ponder for a moment before continuing, “That you’re getting more and more restless. That this whole avoiding Mia thing is starting to eat you alive inside. That you pretend you don’t feel anything, but every step you take is a reflection of it.”

My hand tightens on my phone. “Charlie—”

“And that despite everything, you still care,” she adds, her voice softer now. “Much more than I would like.”

I take a deep breath, feeling the tension building in my chest. “Where are you going with this?”

“I just…” She hesitates, as if choosing her words carefully. “I wanted you to understand what’s at stake before you hear what I have to tell you.”

“Charlie.” My voice comes out low, menacing.

“Because sometimes the truth isn’t as simple as we’d like it to be, you know? And when we finally see things as they really are, it might be too late to go back.”

I get up from the chair, already out of patience. “Charlie.”

“I just don’t want you to freak out,” she insists. “You’re a terrible listener when you’re pissed off, and I need you to listen to me.”

My head is pounding. “Charlie, for God’s sake, just spill the beans!”

She pauses for a long moment, then lets out a sigh.

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