Page 13 of The Forbidden Note

At least I think I do.

But the past swaggers into my classroom one month later.

Wearing a Redwood Prep uniform.

And calling me Miss Jamieson.

CHAPTERFOUR

GREY

Present Day

Eerie silence fills the room. It’s dark except for the one, lone light hanging from the ceiling.

The air stinks of bleach and the unmistakeable scent of death.

I’m standing in a circle.

To my left, Zane is leaning against the wall, arms folded over his chest.

To my right, Cadence is holding her little sister.

We’re all staring at the woman on the metal roll-out. Eyes closed. Lips blue. Fingers flat on a sterile metal sheet.

The dead body is… well… dead.

And it surprises me how relieved most of the people in this room are to see that.

My teeth slide between my bottom lip as I glance at Cadence, waiting for the opportune moment to offer support.

That moment never comes.

Maybe it never will.

For one thing, she has Dutch, Zane and Finn here to comfort her.

For another, I don’t think she’s grieving.

I could be wrong. Everyone expresses sorrow in their own way, but I’ve seen grief before. The way it crushes you. Twists you in a vice grip. It’s like having your heart ripped out of your chest and tossed into the ocean.

I’ve tasted darkness. Hopelessness. Loss.

And I don’t get that vibe from Cadence.

She looks resigned rather than mournful.

Or maybe she’s just so shocked she’s gone numb.

“I’ll give you a moment,” I say, sensing that this is a private gathering.

“You can stay, Miss Jamieson,” Cadence says bleakly. Her solemn brown eyes move to me. “And thank you.”

“It’s…” I choke on the words ‘my pleasure’.

It’s not that it was a hassle.

I just don’t think responding to a call from the police about a student’s mother being found in the back of an alley is something I should attach the words ‘my pleasure’ to.

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