Page 321 of The Heart You Kept

Was….

The lump in my throat hurts again, a reminder of the tears I cannot cry.

God…I can’t even imagine what Edward is going through right now.

I glance at my watch: 7 p.m.

I’ve hung around all afternoon waiting for the DNA results to come in but the lab closed two hours ago, so one can only assume they mustn’t be coming today. My phone vibrates in my pocket, Helene.

“Hi,” I answer softly.

“Any word?”

“No.” I stare out over the sea.

“I’m still praying.”

“Same…but.” I stop myself from saying my worst fears out loud, because if I say them out into the universe then they might come true.

“What?”

“They confirmed it was a human heart.”

“I know.”

“You don’t just find human hearts lying around,” I murmur. “You definitely don’t send them to random people if there isn’t a connection of some sort.”

“I know,” she sniffles through tears.

We hang on the line for a while, both lost in our own thoughts.

“I’m going to get going home, I feel like I’m in the way here,” I whisper.

“Okay,” she replies softly. “Thomas.”

“Yeah.”

“Thanks for being there, it would mean a lot to Alora.”

My nostrils flare as I try to keep it together, I need to get off the phone before I have my own meltdown. “Keep me posted?”

“Of course.” I hang up and walk to the door and wave over William, he gets up and comes to the door.

“I’m going to get going.”

“Okay.” He shakes my hand. “Thanks for being here.”

“How is he?”

“Still hasn’t said a word.”

I nod, unsure what to say next. “Can you let me know if there are any developments?”

“Of course.” He pulls me into a hug and damn it, I wish to god this wasn’t real. I turn and walk off the yacht and as I walk up the marina I glance back at the superyacht.

Five stories of hell.

EDWARD