I nodded. “Yes.”
“You need to tell all of this to Humbly. Then he’ll order the autopsy.”
“Where is he?”
Ash’s fingers brushed the back of my neck. “He’s down at Margie’s Place.”
I jerked back. “Please don’t tell me he went there alone.”
Oh god, what will everyone do?
“No, Hayes and Gray went with him. He wanted to be the one to deliver the news. He’s known her since he was a boy, Angel.” Ash pushed the plate of food closer to me. “When he is done, he’ll be back, ready to take your statement. Until then, please eat and check your sugar.”
A single tear escaped, but I swiped it away before it could fall down my cheek. I was tired of crying, but if I imagined Marg hearing the news, more tears would come. My imagination had always been wild when my emotions were high, my brain conjuring up the worst images, causing me to spiral even lower. So I shoved those thoughts to the back of my mind and focused on the food. It was difficult, but I managed to eat all of it while the guys quietly worked around me. When I was done, Ash kissed my temple, muttered a thank-you, and took my dishes into the kitchen. A second later, I heard the water running.
“Ash washing dishes,” Dominic murmured to himself. “What a day.”
Jake grunted in agreement, his finger flying across the keyboard.
I looked at my lap, watching my knee bounce as my hands itched to do something. “Excuse me,” I muttered, rising from my seat. I padded down the hall, past the kitchen, and stopped in front of the door at the back of the staircase, just across from the back door. This door was heavy, antique carved wood that would remain with this house long after I left it. There was a brass lock and a knob with a lighthouse etched into the metal, the groove smooth and round after over a century of use.
“Angel?” Ash called at the front of the hall.
I stuck my head around the corner. “Hello.”
His head snapped to me, his eyes alert, jaw tight. “What are you doing?”
“I need to grab something.”
Part of me expected him to come down the hall with heavy footfalls and a demanding curiosity. That’s the kind of man I pictured him to be when we first met. An overprotective man who hovered a little too much because his love consumed him. Instead, I watched with bated breath as his shoulders relaxed. “Okay, beautiful. I’ll be in the dining room.”
“Okay.”
He gave me a smile and disappeared.
“How strange,” I whispered, pulling the old brass key out of the pocket of my sweatpants. It was heavy, its weight providing comfort I never would’ve guessed I would need almost daily when I moved into the place. I inserted it into the lock and turned until I heard a soft click. My heart hummed, knowing what was inside. I had to give the door a good yank or two to open it. When it did, the squeak echoed through the halls. The smell of lavender and lemon grass hit me as I put the key back into my pocket, wrapping my hand around it. I squeezed, imprinting its shape into my palm as I stepped into my favoritespot in the world. I moved to the small desk on the far wall, bending over so I wouldn’t hit my head. I grabbed my diary and plucked my fountain pen out of its case.
Then I headed back into the living room, ready to give Felix’s memory a chance at forever.
Chapter Fifteen
Ash
One week later.
As we walked to the grave site, my phone began to ring. Angel slowed with me, Margo and Carrie doing the same. “Forgive me,” I murmured, pulling out my phone to silence it. Thename on the screen stopped me, my spine straightening as my shoulder tightened.
“Who is it?” Angel asked.
I lifted my head, finding the three of them staring at me. My eyes went back to Angel’s golden ones. “Baby, I’m so sorry. I have to take this.”
“That’s okay,” Margo said, grabbing Angel’s hand. “We can walk her over there.”
I glanced at Carrie. “We won’t leave her side,” she promised.
“You okay with that?” I asked Angel.
She nodded, and as the three of them gave me their backs, I put the phone to my ear. “Calling my personal number is a bold move, don’t you think?”
