A Castle of Sand(56)

I want to turn back time. That’s what I want. I want to go back to the time when there never was a Derek Novak in our lives and Sofia only had eyes for me. I want to go back to her seventeenth birthday and treat her the way I should’ve—like she was the most beautiful girl I’d ever laid eyes on, because that’s exactly what she was.
“I don’t know what I want,” I lied to Zinnia, because I was fully aware that what I really wanted could never be.
“Think this through before you do anything you regret.”
Regret. That was all I really felt and I had no idea how to make things right again. For the first time, I actually felt like I truly saw Sofia for what she truly was: a treasure—one that I misused and abused and discarded like it was nothing but trash.
I wondered how she was doing. Is he treating you right? Is he treating you the way I should’ve when you were still mine?
For the rest of the plane ride, Zinnia steered clear of me—something I was grateful for. I lost myself in thoughts of what should’ve been and what could’ve been, in what-ifs and maybes. By the time we landed on the headquarters’ runway, I was in a world of my own. When my feet hit the tarmac, all I could think about was my desire to go home, because being back in California could perhaps make me feel like I was closer to Sofia.
When I reached my suite at the headquarters, I took out my phone and dialed my mother’s number. I knew that they would be asleep at this time of night, but I called anyway. I was answered by my mother, Amelia.
“Hello?” she drowsily greeted.
“Mom?”
“Ben?!” I could immediately hear the mixture of worry, elation and heartbreak in her voice. It was the same tone she had whenever I called to check on them.
“Yeah…how are you doing?”
“We’re doing fine. Abby’s joined the girl scouts and your father got promoted, but we’re missing you, Ben…don’t you have any plans to visit? Are you staying well?” As far as my parents were concerned, I’d taken up military training.
Due to Reuben’s long-term friendship with my father, Lyle, it was easy for him to convince him that I was in some sort of special training program for the government.
“I’m fine, Mom. It’s been fun, but I’ve been missing you guys too. I’m hoping my superiors will allow me to leave so I can visit you soon.”#p#分页标题#e#
“I would love that, Ben. I’m sure Abby would love to see you too.”
I grinned. My little sister could be quite a brat, but I loved her dearly. “Mess up the midget’s hair for me, will you, Mom?”
“I’ll do no such thing.”
I laughed at the sound of reprimand coming from her tone of voice. When my laughter died down, all I could think about was asking a question that I already knew the answer to. “Have you heard from Sofia, Mom?”
“No.”
I could hear the resentment in my mother’s voice. She’d never liked Sofia much, and she was often outspoken about it, but I appreciated that she didn’t express her negative opinion of my best friend at that point. Perhaps she could sense how much I missed Sofia.
“A friend of yours has been calling though.”
I creased my brows in surprise. “Who?”
“A Natalie Borgia. Familiar?”
Strangely, the name did sound familiar, but I couldn’t quite place who the person was and where I’d heard the name. “What did she say?”
“Well, she just left a number and asked me to tell you to call her.”
“Okay. Could you give me the number, Mom?”
My mother dictated the number and I took note. We exchanged a couple of stories before finally calling it a night and hanging up. I stared at the number, still trying to remember who Natalie Borgia was, wondering why she would want to get in touch with me.
Overcome by curiosity, I dialed the number. The phone kept ringing and I was just about to give up waiting when a sultry voice with an Italian accent greeted me, “Hello?”
“Hi. Is this Natalie Borgia?”
“Perhaps. Who’s calling?”
“Ben Hudson. You were calling my home, trying to get in touch with me?”
“Finally,” she said. “I have a message for you.”
“A message?”
“Yes. From Lucas Novak. Does the name ring a bell?”
That’s when the name finally clicked. Natalie Borgia. She was mentioned in one of our training lectures. She was one of the oldest known vampires existing. She was a rogue, not belonging to any covens. Catching her would make for a king’s ransom. Every vampire coven would be clamoring for her. What on earth did she or Lucas Novak want with me?