Jemma:People are jerks!
Ava:If you know of a part-time job, let me know.
Rhea:Why?
Ava:Gonna replace the bracelet. It’s expensive.
All my friends agreed to let me know. Then we finalized the date for our holiday gathering.
I didn’t tell them I’d encountered Austin. They’d swarm me with questions, and I didn’t want to think about him right now. My body was just calming down from the resurgence of feelings he elicited.
Snuggling into my bed, I shifted my lavender-scented candle aside to make room for my phone to charge. The soothing aroma reminded me of the musky cologne from the mall. It was similar to what Austin wore. But I’d never sneezed when I was around him.
I’d smelled this scent when I was in the jewelry store and when I bought candles. Could they be the same person? Many people wore that cologne, including Austin.
Revelation dawned on me. The man who had snatched my purse didn’t wear this cologne. I didn’t remember sneezing. If he didn’t take the emerald bracelet, then who did? I replayed that chaotic day through my head. A skilled thief could’ve taken the jewelry box when I was still inside the mall. Numerous people had bumped into me. It could’ve been anyone.
I could rule Austin out of the theft equation. From what I gathered, Tanner Properties had expanded, which meant he was doing well. He didn’t need to steal my emerald bracelet. He could buy Sierra all the jewelry she wanted. Though their engagement had ended, she still posted about them on her social media posts as though they were still together.
My phone pinged with a text. Thinking it was one of my friends, I reached for it, and my heart galloped.
Why was Austin texting me?
CHAPTER FOUR
AUSTIN
I wasn’tsure if my intuition served me well, but I had to know if Ava was all right. Her distraught look still worried me.
Austin:How are you?
I saw she read my message, but I wasn’t sure if she’d reply.
My heart hammered when I saw the three dots moving on the screen.
Ava:Why?
My fingers curled, unsure of how to reply. After a moment, she responded.
Ava:I’m okay. Thanks for asking.
Austin:Be careful when you go shopping.
She didn’t reply.
Austin:I’m sorry about the past. I hope we can be friends when we see each other again.
Three dots appeared, then they disappeared.
Ava:Friends? That would be hard.
Those words knifed me in the chest. But what did I expect?
I didn’t know how to reply to her. What if I said the wrong thing? It wasn’t a good idea to contact her tonight.
My phone rang, and I was glad for the distraction.
“Hi, Bianca. Is everything going well?”
