Cruel Trust

Twenty-Four

eleven weeks later

"Julia, answer the damn phone," I muttered, the steering wheel sliding through my hand. On the sixth ring, just when I thought her voicemail was going to pick up, she answered.

"Hello?" she said, breathless.

"Hey, Jules. What are you doing? You sound like you've just run a mile."

Julia laughed. "Uh, no. I haven't run a mile since Coach Carson's class senior year." I could hear her struggling to catch her breath.

"What are you doing then?" I pulled into my spot at Andrew's and put the car in park, checking my makeup in the rearview.

"Nosy much? None of your business," she snapped.

I wrinkled my nose, irritated by her attitude. "Um, okay? What's your problem?" I asked, getting a little irritated.

"I don't have a problem. What do you need?" Her voice sounded clipped now, not as out of breath.

I was floored. Julia never talked to me like this. "Nothing, Julia, never mind." I tapped the end call button forcefully, like she could even tell the difference. I threw my phone into the passenger seat and clenched my teeth, breathing through my nose. What in the hell is her deal?

I grabbed my phone and threw it in my purse. I moved to get out of the car, but something in the rearview mirror caught my eye.

I would've sworn it was Liam.

But I hadn't seen him since Thanksgiving...it was the end of March. Since the cops hadn't found a trace of him, I just assumed that meant he had fled the country or something just as shady. I looked back again, and whoever it was had vanished. I rolled my eyes.

It's just in your head, Jameson. There's no one back there.

I had almost reached the front door when my phone started buzzing from inside my purse. I dug it out and closed my eyes when I saw it was Julia. I thought about ignoring her call, but I just couldn't do it. But I could be a smart ass.

"What do you need, Ms. Stone?" I asked.

Julia sighed. "Char, I'm sorry. I was a bitch."

"No argument here," I replied as I opened the door to the lobby and waved at the guard who was stationed in the corner. He smiled and nodded.

"Ha-ha. Forgive me?"

"Fine. But just this once. This is all you get."

"Thank you. Now seriously, what did you need earlier?"

"I was just wondering if you had booked your flight to Panama City yet." I pressed the up button on the elevator.

"Yeah, I did it the other day. I'm arriving a day after you guys at 5:00 pm."

"Great."

"Listen, I gotta go, okay? I just wanted to make sure we were okay," Julia said.

"Yeah, we're fine. Call me later?" I asked, stepping off the elevator and walking toward Andrew's door.

"Sure. Talk to you soon." She made a smooching sound and hung up.

I opened the door and Millie ran to me, sliding in and out of the space between my ankles. I bent down to pet her, and of course she ran away.

"Silly cat." I walked over to the counter and picked up the pamphlet for our resort in Panama City. What had started out as a regular old vacation had turned into what I thought was the idea of the century: A wedding on the beach.