Page 50 of Snowflakes and Sparks

“Okay. But you do know you can call me if you need anything, right? No matter the hour.”

“Thank you, Suzie,” he said. He hesitated for a moment. “I’m sorry to do this to you. I hadn’t planned it. We’ll talk later. I promise.”

I let out a small laugh. “Nobody ever plans on getting sick. Don’t worry about it. All you have to focus on is getting better.”

We exchanged our goodbyes, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. Alex had seemed perfectly fine when I’d last seen him a mere ten hours before, and he sure didn’t mention feeling unwell then.

I sighed and tried to push away these ridiculous thoughts. There was no rhyme or reason when it came to illness. Like I’d told Alex myself, nobody planned on getting sick.

I threw the duvet aside and stepped into the shower. Alex and I had decided to make this work. He would visit me in California next month for a couple of weeks and then we’d decide on a further plan of action. I smiled at the thought of him meeting my friends and seeing where I lived. We could go for walks on the beach every night or stay in and order takeout. It was going to be amazing.

After my shower, I brought my inner Martha Stewart to the surface and made a batch of apple cupcakes, from scratch. That was bound to make him feel better.

I stacked the cupcakes in a container and put them in a bag together with a fresh fruit salad. Stepping outside, I could see that the weather was taking a turn for the worse. Dark gray clouds hung low and a chilly wind had gathered force.

The curtains of Alex’s house were still drawn, even though it was way past eleven. Poor Alex. He was probably so sick that he hadn’t even made it out of bed.

A white Audi was parked in the driveway, with a vanity plate reading QN HTHR. I wondered who it belonged to. Maybe he had called a nurse? Or his sister had come to visit?

I walked up the steps to the front door, careful not to slip, and rang the doorbell.

The door swung open and a woman I didn’t recognize stood in front of me. Her blonde hair spilled over her shoulders and she threw me an annoyed look.

“Yes?” she asked with a hand on her hip.

“Is Alex around?” I took a step forward, ready to step inside, but she extended her arm so that the doorway was blocked.

“Who wants to know?”

“I’m Suzie, I live next door. Are you Alex’s nurse?”

She laughed so hard that tears sprang to her eyes. “His nurse? That is golden.”

I arched an eyebrow. What was so weird about that question?

“If you must know, I’m Heather. Alex’s fiancée,” she added with a look of pride.

Now it was my turn to laugh. “Yeah, I’m sorry, I thought you said you’re Alex’s fiancée, but that’s not possible. She left without a trace a year ago.”

“And now she’s back,” she said.

Alex had lied to me? I suddenly felt nauseous, but reprimanded myself. There was no use jumping to conclusions. I was sure there had to be a logical explanation for all of this.

“I need to see Alex,” I said and stepped forward. Heather grabbed my arm and stopped me in my tracks.

“Look, Suzie, right?”

I nodded.

“I’m sorry to break it to you, but whatever you thought you and Alex had, it’s over.”

I shook my head in disbelief.

“Alex told me that there’s nothing going on between you,” she said. “Nothing more than some fling. You’re leaving soon, aren’t you? He thought he had feelings for you, until I showed up again and he remembered how much he loved me. We share a past together. I’m sorry to have to say this to you, but it’s all true.”

My mouth tried to form words, but my vocal chords didn’t cooperate.

“Oh, and I’m taking over the bookstore next door, so there’s no need for you to stick around any longer,” she added.

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