Page 74 of Wrecked

“That’s clearly Shane, and he’s kissing her!” Beth cries. “How do you explain that?”

“I can’t,” Lia says, looking flummoxed. “But there has to be an explanation.”

Beth moves toward the sink and stumbles.

I catch her. “I think you need to sit down before you fall down.” When I suggest we head back to Clancy’s, Beth shoots down that idea.

“You can come back with me to my place,” Lia offers. “You can hang with me and Jonah for a while.”

Beth shakes her head. Then she grabs her phone and makes a call. “Can I come over?” she asks in a shaky voice, bordering on tears. She answers a few questions, and then she hands the phone to me. “Jamie wants to talk to you.”

“Sam, it’s me, Jamie,” he says. “Would you please bring Beth to my apartment? Right now?”

“Sure, I’ll bring her.”

* * *

I flag down the first taxi I see outside the restaurant and give the driver Jamie’s address in Wicker Park. Beth sits quietly beside me in the back seat, saying nothing. She seems numb to everything around us.

When we arrive at Jamie’s apartment building, he’s waiting for us outside with his service dog, a big yellow Lab named Gus.Beth gets out of the car and runs up the stone steps right into Jamie’s arms.

I pay the fare and join them.

Beth is in tears as Jamie tries to get her to tell him what’s wrong. He rubs her back and talks quietly to her. Obviously, they have a close relationship. Cooper once told me Beth and Jamie bonded when she was living at Shane’s Kenilworth estate, right after she was physically assaulted by a student at the medical school library where she once worked. Jamie was living there, too, at the time, and the two of them spent a lot of time together.

“Come inside and tell me what’s going on,” Jamie says as he steers Beth into the building.

I feel like a third wheel here, and I don’t want to intrude. “I guess I’ll wait out here.”

Jamie extends his hand toward me, and we shake. “Nonsense. Come up to the apartment.”

On our way up the stairs to the second floor, we run into a pretty brunette holding some flat packages. She’s just locking her apartment door, apparently on her way out.

“Hi, Molly,” Jamie says to her.

Jamie introduces us to his new neighbor, Molly Ferguson.

“Just running to the post office,” she says. “I have some small paintings to mail.”

As Molly walks away, I notice a peculiar smile on Jamie’s face. It makes me wonder just how well the two of them know each other.

Once we’re in his apartment, Jamie invites me to make myself at home. “There’s plenty of food and drink in the kitchen.” To Beth, he says, “Why don’t we go talk in my office?”

The two of them disappear down the hall, leaving me to my own devices. I grab a bottle of spring water out of the fridge and have a seat on the sofa. While I’m killing time, I text Cooper to let him know what’s happened. I text Shane, too, to give hima heads up. I’m sure he’s been bombarded with calls and texts from everyone involved, but as Beth’s bodyguard, it’s my job to keep him informed.

After Jamie comes out of his office and goes to the kitchen, I walk down the hallway to check on Beth. I pop my head through the open office door. “Hey, sweetie, are you doing okay?”

She’s lying on the sofa, covered with a blanket. “I’m fine, thanks.”

But she doesn’t sound fine. She sounds devastated. And for the first time, I’m truly worried. I’m worried about her relationship with Shane. Whatever’s going on, I hope they can work it out.

A short while later, when I’m back in the living room, there’s a knock on Jamie’s door. My gut tells me it’s Shane, come to do some much-needed damage control.

Jamie beats me to the door. He opens it, and in walks Shane.

“Where is she?” Those are the first words out of his mouth. He sounds almost panicked.

“She’s here,” Jamie tells his big brother. “In my office, lying down and resting.”