Chapter 38
Kjell
I glance once more at the antique clock above the fireplace in the Blohm villa's living room.
Twenty minutes to nine.
Where is she?
What I have to do today already weighs heavily on my chest. But now, on top of the fear of her reaction, comes the worry for Sky.
What if a reporter intercepted her on her way home? What if camera crews got wind of her presence and stationed themselves outside theTouch av lyxheadquarters?
I pull my phone out of my pocket and dial her number.
No ringing. Just voicemail.
"Where are you, Sky?" I speak after the beep. "I'm going out of my mind with worry for you. Please tell me you're okay. Or how I can help you. What you need or..."
The recording ends with a click.
I run my hands through my hair. Something's not right. She wouldn't keep me waiting for so long without a sign of life.
Never!
I cross the living room quickly, heading to the hallway to put on my jacket and shoes. Then I fling open the front door—and freeze in the middle of the motion.
Sky.
With an aloof expression, she stands right at the threshold. Her lips are tinted blue, her cheeks sunken.
Shocked by the sight, I approach her. "Hej," I say gently and attempt to hug her, but she immediately steps aside. "What's wrong?"
For a while, she just stares at me, as if considering how she could hurt me most painfully.
"What's wrong, you want to know?" She finally asks, her tone so cold that the Swedish winter wind feels like a mild breeze in comparison. "You already know, don't you?"
I shake my head and try to hug her once more.
"Don't you dare touch me," she hisses in anger.
"Okay," I reply with growing unease and put some distance between us. "At least let's go inside."
Even though her lower lip trembles and her curls are covered in a layer of frost, she doesn't move. "I'm not going anywhere with you."
So her mood has something to do with me.
Has she found out? Oh man, please no. Not now. Not like this. A wave of panic washes over me, stealing my breath.
"Leave from here." She fixes me with her gaze. Her look is just as contemptuous as it was back in Polarnatt.
You worthless piece of shit, she said.
She knows, somehow she knows. "Let me explain—"
"I don't give a damn about your lies," she interrupts me. "Disappear. I never want to see you again."
No, she can't just send me away. Not before giving me a chance to set things right. Panicking with fear, I reach for herarms. This is too important; I have to fight for it. "Listen to me, Sky. Please."
