“Maybe.” It didn’t feel right. He would have borrowed someone else’s phone.
“Call him. Maybe he hasn’t left yet. Or is still out of range.”
He answered on the third try. “Hey. Are you back?” she asked.
“Yeah. Got back a few hours ago.” His voice was flat, with a slight slur.
“Oh.” Pressure built in her chest, squeezing her heart. Something was wrong. “Are you coming over?”
“I’m wiped. I’ll see you later.”
“Wha—”
“’Night.” The call disconnected.
She stared at the screen again, like it was magically going to provide an explanation for what just happened. “What the fuck just happened?”
“What?” Denise asked from the kitchen.
Bree raised her head. “Jase just told me he’d see me later.”
“Okay. What’s wrong with that?”
“He hasn’t left me alone except to go to work for the last two weeks and now it’sI’m wiped;I’ll see you later? What the eff?”
Denise joined her on the couch, holding a plate and glass. “Maybe he realized you’re okay by yourself. Maybe he really is wiped and knew I was going to be here. Maybe he needs to decompress.”
“I guess… It just seems like it’s a complete one-eighty from how he’s been this entire time.”
“I know. But we all have our off days.” She bit into her sandwich. “This whole thing has been stressing him out. Give him a day and let him relax. You can freak out if you don’t hear from him tomorrow.”
Bree shook her head. “There was something in his voice. It was…I don’t know. It was off.”
“Call him tomorrow. If it’s still off, then you can unleash unholy fury on his ass.”
He didn’t reply the next morning when she texted him on her way to work. When she still hadn’t heard from him by late afternoon, she stopped by his office on the way home.
“Hi, Ms. Carol. Is Jase in today?”
“Oh no, honey. He never comes in today.”
“Monday?”
“No. It’s— I thought for sure he would have told you.”
Bree frowned and tilted her head. “Told me what?”
“Oh, Bree. Today is the anniversary of Tony’s death.”
Bree’s hand flew to her mouth. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize. Wait. Why are you here then?”
Carol sighed. “I accepted Tony’s death a while ago. Jase…hasn’t been able to get past it, I’m afraid.”
“Why is he having such a hard time?”
“Tell you what. There’s a nice little cafe a few doors down. I was getting ready to lock up anyway. Why don’t we go have a cup of coffee and talk?”
Carol locked up and set the alarm before hooking Bree’s arm and leading her down to the end of the strip mall.
