“I’m fine. Honestly.” I glance around the room, studying the locals who are inside. While I’m sure word will get around soon enough, I’d rather it not be me who spreads it. “Can we head upstairs and talk in private?”
“Sure thing. Karly, I’m taking my break!” she calls out.
Karly peeks her face out of the back room and throws up a thumbs up, her red ponytail swinging as she does. “Hey, Zane!”
“Hey, Karly,” I reply, trying my best to keep the forced smile firmly in place.
Anastasia takes off her apron and hangs it on a peg near the door, then takes my hand and pulls me up the steps toward the second floor, which also doubles as her apartment. She shuts the door behind us, and I survey the colorful space.
It’s entirely my baby sister’s taste.
Random patterns, bright colors, lots of natural light, plants with large green leaves—happy. Just like her.
“Want a bottle of water? Tea?”
“No, I’m okay.” I take a seat on her floral couch and let out a sharp breath.
“This is bad. What is it? You’re scaring me.” Anastasia sits beside me, so I reach over and take her hand.
She’s been my best friend our entire lives, despite the two-year age difference between us. When our dad passed, we only grew closer, and it’s been that way ever since.
“I need to tell you something, but it has to stay between us. For now, at least.”
“Of course.” Her hazel eyes narrow on my face, her expression serious. “Come on, Zane. What’s going on?”
“Tessa is alive.”
Anastasia’s mouth falls slack, and she stares at me, shocked. “Are you serious? How do you know? Where has she been? Is she okay?” Each rapid-fired question breaks my heart because I know the truth will break hers.
“I’m not sure where she’s been. But currently, she’s at the hospital. She sustained some minor injuries, but I think she’ll be okay.”
“Zane.” Anastasia releases my hand and pushes to her feet, turning to gape at me. When Tessa disappeared, Anastasia had been right at my side, trying to help me find answers. She’d been with me while I grieved the loss, pointed me back to God when my anger got the better of me, and grounded me in the realities when I wanted to take vengeance into my own hands. “Where did you find her? Who hurt her? Is that why she went missing? Oh, poor Tessa.”
“I’m not sure as to the who, and I wouldn’t even say that I found her. I was sleeping and heard someone moving around my boat. When I went to see who it was?—”
“It was Tessa?” she finishes.
“It was Tessa,” I repeat. “She was bleeding from an injury on her thigh, and she had some other cuts and scrapes. Before I could ask her what happened, she passed out. So I took her to the hospital.”
Anastasia leans back against the couch. “Wow. How did she end up on your boat? Did she escape somewhere and come to you for help?”
Due to her reaction to me, I’d say her coming to me on purpose was a big no. “I have no idea.”
“I’m honestly surprised I haven’t heard anything. Did you tell Mom?”
“Given her injuries, I asked Officer Leopold to keep her name off the record for now. He and the hospital staff have been tight-lipped about it. And yes, I told Mom. She’s there with her now.”
“That’s good.” Anastasia lets out a sharp breath. “Wow. This is a lot. Did she tell you why she left? I’m shocked you’re not there now.”
I take a deep breath. This is going to be the part she really doesn’t like. “Tessa claims that she left because she simply changed her mind about marrying me. She also kicked me out of her hospital room as soon as she realized I wasn’t her doctor.”
Anastasia rarely gets mad. In fact, there’ve been plenty of moments in her life where she would have been completely validated in her anger, but she still chose kindness. However, at my repeat of Tessa’s callous words, my sister’s cheeks turn a deep pink, and her gaze narrows on me.
“She changed her mind? So instead of telling you that, she let you stand there in front of all of your family and friends? Alone? Humiliated? And now she has the audacity to show up on your boat? Nope.” She starts toward the door, but I stand to block her path. “This is not going to fly, Zane!”
“Easy, Anastasia. Someone could be after her. She was pretty banged up.”
“No. Sounds to me like—once again—she wrapped you up in her problem. You’re too kind to tell her to kick rocks, but I’m not. Not after what she did to you.”
