“Jess?” A somewhat familiar voice calls me from the crowded terminal. “Jess Roberts?”
As soon as I see her, I’m frozen in shock. It's Laini, Jacob's old girlfriend.
She sits down beside me. “Wow, you look so grown up I almost didn't recognize you. What are you, a senior this year?”
“A sophomore, actually.” Not officially until I start summer classes next week, but close enough. “At WSU.”
“College. You have grown up.” I wonder if it’s possible for her not to sound condescending. “Where are you heading?”
“Texas.” I shift uncomfortably in my seat. Now it feels like I have too much time before my flight. “My brother Matt is being deployed.”
Her voice goes soft. “I didn’t realize he was in the service.”
“He is. Army.”
“Tell him I said good luck.” She glances at her expensive watch. “I need to get going. I have a long business trip ahead of me. I'm always on the run these days.” She straightens her skirt and stands up. “I’ll have to tell Jake I ran into you the next time he calls. He’ll get a kick out of that.”
I freeze. She either doesn’t notice or pretends not to notice the look on my face. “He’s doing okay. They had a bit of a scare just before Christmas. Maybe you heard about the attack in Mosul? You can imagine how relieved I was when he called me to tell me he was okay. He didn't give me very many details. He doesn’t like to worry me." She looks at her watch again. "I'll tell him you said hi.”
I mumble some kind of goodbye. At least I think I do. I can barely breathe. She strides away, her high heels clicking toward whatever important destination she's heading to. I should follow her, ask her exactly when she last heard from Jacob.
I can’t move.
My thoughts are churning. Is it possible he's been playing both of us this whole time? Has he been lying to me?
I make a quick decision and cross the terminal to the Wi-Fi area. I connect and type in Jacob’s email address. The message is quick.
Jacob,
We need to talk. Call me when you can.
Jess
I look at it for a few agonized heartbeats before I hit send. Am I jumping to conclusions? Am I that gullible? Laini brought him up so casually. It didn't seem like she was lying. My stomach twists.
How can I be sure?
The flight is excruciating—my heart aches, and I'm searching my memory for details I could have missed. Everything I thought was real is in doubt. I need to talk to Jacob. Hearing his voice will fix everything.
I hope.
I’m pacing the empty hotel room I'm supposed to be sharing with Kendra when my cell phone rings.
It’s Jacob.
“Jess,” he sounds worried. “Are you okay? I got your email.”
“I’m not sure.” My answer is painfully honest. “I ran into Laini at the airport.”
I gauge the tone of his voice when he answers. “Wow, small world. What did she have to say?”
“She told me she'd tell you hi from me the next time you called her.”
“What?” he sounds genuinely confused. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I was hoping you could tell me.”
“Hold on, Jess. I’m not sure what you’re asking. Maybe we have a bad connection.”
