“Thought you were better than ghosting, but apparently not. Thanks for making me feel like an idiot. I hope whatever your reason is, it was worth it.”
I hit send and toss my phone on the nightstand, then crawl into bed, even though it’s barely 9 p.m. Even though I haven’t eaten. Even though the hollow space inside me feels louder than the wind outside.
It’s not heartbreak, it wasn’t long enough for that. But it’ssomething. A spark I let myself believe in and a voice I started to trust. A stranger who made me feel seen—right up until he didn’t.
When my phone rings, I don’t check the screen, I ignore it until it stops. But when it rings again, I turn to see the name.
Tamara.
I stare at my older sister’s name for a second, then answer.
“Hey.” My voice comes out rougher than I mean it to.
“Hey, Franks!” Her voice is bright, warm and familiar. “I know this is last-minute, but Eli and I are heading to Maplewood tomorrow for a couple days over Christmas while the team’s on a break, and I was thinking you should come, too. Stay with us at the Parnell’s. The house is all decorated and festive, and we could really use a dose of your sarcasm to keep Eli humble.”
I blink, caught off-guard.
“Ahh,” I hesitate. “I don’t know…”
“You sound like shit,” she says gently. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” I lie. “Just work stress.”
Tamara doesn’t push, she never does. This time of year is hard on her, too.
“Come on,” she says, softer now. “You don’t have to be festive. Just come be there with us. I miss you.”
“I miss you too,” I whisper, my eyes filling with silent tears.
“Frankie,” Tamara says, more serious now. “You sure you’re okay?”
I nod, the inhale through my nose to steady my tears, even though she can’t see me. “I’m fine.” Then I deflect. “Just thinkingabout wading through all the festive bullshit at Herb and Leah Parnell’s.”
“They’d love to see you.”
She’s right, I know they would. The snow falls slowly beyond the glass of my window, and I stare for a moment, suspended in time. Mom would want me to be with them, too. And Dad.
“What if you rent that cabin up the road from them?” Tamara presses gently. “Gives you a space to escape the scary levels of decorations.”
I chew on my lip, considering it. The Parnells are like a second family to me, and I haven’t seen them for a while. And a cabin to myselfdoessound like a reasonable compromise.
“Franks?”
“Yeah, I heard you…”
And then I say yes.
Chapter four
Mason
The station’s quiet, just the low hum of the fridge and the occasional clink of mugs being put away by whoever’s still awake.
I’m six hours through the back half of a twenty-four, and I volunteered for the shift. Hell, I begged for it. Figured the exhaustion might drown out the last voice note she sent me.
It hasn’t. It’s sitting on my phone, haunting me.
Red.
