“Hey! Sorry, my hands were full.” I plopped down in my desk chair.
“I don’t mean right now, I mean last night. You send me a text saying that you’ll be at Andy’s for a few days and then nothing? I texted you right back.”
Apparently I didn’t have as hard of a time falling asleep as I felt like I had.
My eyes pinched shut tight. “I know, I’m sorry. I sent it planning to fill you in on everything and then I passed out.”
She let out a heavy sigh and her tone softened. “So what’s going on? You’re staying at Andy’s? Why?”
“Remember how I told you about all those weird messages I’d been getting?”
“Yeah.”
“And then I told you about the car thing?”
“Yeah.” Her voice grew more anxious.
“Well, it’s gotten worse, Sadie. Way worse. June went over yesterday to walk Roxy like she normally does and found her under the kitchen table, barely breathing.”
Sadie let out a loud gasp followed by complete silence.
“That sicko got into my house, poisoned my dog, and left another message on my island. This one hit way too close to home, Sadie. It scared me. Scared the shit out of me.”
Just saying the words out loud made my stomach hurt. As good as I was at compartmentalizing my life and filing emotions away to deal with at a later time, nothing brought them out of their ugly little boxes like saying them out loud again. If I was hearing myself say them, I couldn’t pretend they weren’t real, and if I couldn’t pretend they weren’t real, I’d have to deal with them. Hiding them away in a dark, quiet, safe place was so much easier.
“Oh my God, Dani. I don’t even know what to say anymore. This is insane! This is way past insane.”
“Tell me about it.”
“So what’s going to happen now? Are you moving?”
I hadn’t even thought about moving.
Oh God. I don’t want to move!
“No, I’m not moving. I love that house. You know how much I love that house. For now, I’m staying at Andy’s.”
“That’s . . . interesting.”
“It’s not what you’re thinking. I’m in the guest room off of the hall by the kitchen, across from his nanny. On a completely different floor, so before you go thinking anything—”
“I just said it was interesting, but now I’m thinking it.”
“Well, stop. This is just temporary. With any luck I’ll be back home in a week or two.”
The disappointment that grew in my stomach surprised me. Yesterday I didn’t even want to go to his house, but after dinner last night with Andy and the kids and Gloria, I was kinda looking forward to spending a few days with them.
Baby Skyler let out a loud cry. “Okay, okay. Shh, shh. All right, I gotta go feed my minipiranha.”
“I need to work, anyway, I’m so behind.” I rubbed my temples with my fingertips, wishing I were lying on a sandy beach with a fruity drink in my hand, doing absolutely nothing. I wouldn’t complain if Andy were lying in the chair next to me, either.
“I love you, Dani. Please stay safe and call me if you need anything.” Her voice was serious, so serious that it took me aback. Sadie and I weren’t serious with each other, ever. Jokes and jabs were the foundation of our friendship, and when she used that tone with me, it sent chills down my spine.
“I love you, too, Sadie.”
The morning passed quickly, and quietly, which I was thankful for. I spoke briefly with Dr. Sells, who told me that Roxy had had a good night and seemed to be responding well to treatment. She wanted to keep her at least one more night, if not two, and that bummed me out, but whatever brought her home to me permanently in the end was fine with me.
Just before lunchtime, there was a soft knock on my door.
“Come in!”
Ellie’s blonde curls peeked around the door before her face did. “Hey. You busy?”
I sighed and looked down at the papers scattered across my desk. “I’m going to be busy for the next three years, but I could use a quick break. Come on in.”
As she slid into my office, I noticed she had on the cutest navy-blue-and-white chevron dress. “Cute dress!” I exclaimed.
She looked down at herself and back up at me quickly as her lips parted in a huge smile. “Thanks!”
“So what’s up?” I linked my fingers, resting my forearms on the desk.
Her knee bounced up and down as she fidgeted with a button on her shirt and avoided my gaze. “I just wanted to ask how Roxy was doing.”
I narrowed my eyes, not believing for a second that was the real reason she’d knocked on my door, but I figured I’d humor her. “She’s doing okay. Not great but better than yesterday.”