I jolt upright, heart pounding against my ribs as I search for the clock.
“Shit, am I late again?” I mutter, scanning the room, trying to piece together how I fell asleep here and how bad the damage is.
Sleep must have been deep. There is still drool cooling on my cheek.
I exhale when the clock comes into focus.
6:00 a.m.
My phone buzzes again. It’s Mia, calling onFaceTime.
I toss yesterday’s newspaper aside and sit up straight, pushing my glasses back into place before answering.
The screen fills with movement and noise.
She is screaming.
I barely see her face at first. Just her hand, shoved so close to the camera it blurs, her finger stretched out proudly. A massive diamond catches the light and flashes.
“EEE, I am engaged,” she shrieks. “Liam finally proposed.”
“Oh my God,” I say, wiping my mouth with my sleeve. “I am so happy for you. Congratulations.”
“I woke you up, didn’t I?” she says, laughing. “But it is so worth it.”
I laugh too. “It is.”
“June 1st,” she says, grinning so hard her cheeks lift. “Next year, 2017. will be ours. I can feel it.”
“Hope so,” I say. “I am more than ready to be back in New York.”
Her smile softens. “Is it that bad?”
“Just this case,” I say. “It’s heavy.”
“Yeah,” she says, her voice lowering. “The whole country is on its feet waiting to see that man dead. Yesterday Julie calledme asking if I would sign a petition to rush the process for his execution.”
“That’s not how it works,” I say. “He was ruled not capable of standing trial.”
“He is a monster,” she says. “And what he did to all those women…” She blinks at me. “Let’s just not talk about it.”
“Yeah,” I chuckle. “Good idea.”
Liam’s voice cuts in from somewhere offscreen. “We have to go.”
“We’re visiting his parents today,” she says. “It’s a three-hour drive, so that’s why I’m up this early. I just had to tell you the news first.”
“You’re going to be the best bride,” I say, smiling.
“Thank you, Em.” She wipes at the corner of her left eye, catching a tear before it falls. Her voice drops. “I have to go.”
“Bye,” I say, and end the call.
Daisy pads over to me, tail sweeping back and forth, already asking for a walk. I push myself up from the sofa.
“Let’s go,” I say softly, tapping my knees twice before standing.
She circles my feet as I head for the front door. Her leash hangs beside my coat. I clip it to her collar, slip on my sneakers, and listen to the rain tapping steadily outside.
