As I wait for my phone to restart, I remember that we all should have been at brunch today, celebrating the newlyweds, sendingthem off on their honeymoon. I wonder if anyone is even still at the resort.
There’s a message from Sadie on the screen, and my heart is in my throat as soon as I see her name. All it says, though, is “Where are you? What happened?” It’s from yesterday.
“I’m so sorry, Sadie. So so sorry. I’m at home. I hope you’re okay.” My message goes through as delivered, but not read.
I’m shocked that there are no messages from my mom, and almost a little worried about the lack of communication, but maybe she’s too irate to even scream at me through text or voicemail.
There are both text and voice messages from Max and Miles, but I refuse to read or listen.
A memory pops into my head—Miles telling me we should go back inside during Sadie’s reception, because it was a once-in-a-lifetime event. One that he had no problem destroying, apparently.
Did I even know anything true about either of them? The level of deception is incredible.
I return to the living room, phone in hand, with the hope of hearing back from Sadie. Just as Marissa brings in the cup of tea, there’s a knock at the door.
CHAPTER 58
CALLIE
“It’s them,” Marissa says, after peeking through the curtains.
I’d nearly forgotten that they knew where I lived. I never should have let Max pick me up here, though of course, with their jobs, I’m sure they could easily find out where I lived on their own.
I can’t believe they have the nerve to come here.
Marissa bites her bottom lip. “Want me to send them away?”
Before I can answer, Ana says, “Maybe you should see them, Callie. Get it over with, and give them a piece of your mind while you can. We’re here, and we have your back.”
I blink back a few tears that come for an entirely different reason from the million that preceded them yesterday.
I’m not alone.
I may not have my family anymore, and I definitely don’t have the men I thought I might, but I have my new friends, and I’m so grateful.
“Let them in,” I tell Marissa.
The men step in, after greeting Marissa politely, and though my anger flares hotter than a thousand suns when I see them, a small, traitorous part of me notices how good they look in the jeans and t-shirts they’re wearing. They look like the regular guys I thought they were when I met them, not special agents, not even wedding guests.
“Callie. Hi. Thanks for seeing us.” It’s Max doing the talking, with Miles at his side looking pained.
They both nod to Ana, then stand awkwardly in the entry, waiting to be invited in further, but I’m not in the mood for pleasant manners.
Instead, I get right to the point, pinning them in place with narrowed eyes. “How could you?”
Miles flinches as if my words are a physical blow. Max glances at the vacant chairs in the living room. “Can we come in and talk?”
Not entirely sure that meeting with them is a good idea now that I’ve seen them, I let out a huff.
“Go ahead and sit,” Ana tells them. “Marissa and I are staying right here.”
Marissa sits back down next to me and watches the men expectantly as they take seats. I can barely stand to look at them, but when I do, I struggle to reconcile what I know about them now with everything I thought I knew.
Even though I haven’t known them long, at the wedding, they were my comfort in a crowd. They still look the same, but they’re actually strangers.
Max clears his throat. “As I mentioned yesterday, Miles and I are special agents for the State Bureau of Investigation. It’s like the FBI, but on a state level. We’ve been watching John Hargrove for quite some time. We can’t go into specifics, unfortunately, but we have evidence that he did a lot of bad things. We expect a criminal trial to find him guilty and that he’ll go to jail for quite some time.”
“What about Adam?” I ask.
