Fighting Fate by Amity Hope

horrible crash?”
    Her voice had become shrill as she said the last part. Sarah felt the words grating down her spine.
    Even though she wasn’t looking at him, it was impossible to miss that Cole’s attention was immediately on her. She felt her body stiffen as the blood rushed from her face.
    “Or am I thinking oh nI thinkf someone else?” Annabeth asked with a nervous giggle. She looked from Sarah to Cole and then back again, coming to her own conclusion. “It was someone else, right? Because…?” She left her question open-ended as her finger swung in the air between them, as if connecting them with an invisible line. “I’ve been away for so long. And there are so many old classmates to keep track of! After a while everyone blends together. But you two!?” She turned to Cole and grinned, looking relieved that she was able to slide together her own mental puzzle pieces, no matter how incorrect they were. “Just look at the two of you! You know, you were the oddest couple,” she unabashedly admitted. “I can’t believe that you two are still together! Good for you!”
    “Dear Lord,” Gretchen said from beside her. “I think you should stop talking.”
    Annabeth frowned as she looked her way.
    “Seriously, move along,” Gretchen said. There was no humor in her voice. She darted a concerned look at Sarah.
    Annabeth turned back to Cole and Sarah with a questioning look on her face.
    Sarah was working hard to keep her expression carefully blank.
    Cole was ignoring Annabeth completely. His gaze was set on Sarah.
    “Well then,” Annabeth said in a voice that had dropped to a frigid degree. “I guess I’ll go find my husband.”
    “You do that,” Gretchen said.
    The moment she was gone, Sarah gave Cole a nudge.
    “Let me out.”
    “Sarah…?”
    She refused to look at him. Her eyes were prickling and her breaths were coming a little too quickly. She needed fresh air. She needed to get out of the crowded bar. But mostly, she just needed to get away from Cole and the look of confusion and concern that he wore on his face.
    “Just let me out. Let me out right now.”
    Her voice was quivering. Even though she was sitting she could tell that her whole body was shaking.
    Without further question, Cole complied. He slid out of the booth so that she could get out of her seat. He tried to take hold of her elbow, to guide her out. She yanked herself out of his grip as she stumbled past him.
    “I have your daiquiris,” the flustered waitress said.
    Gretchen pulled a twenty out of her purse and tossed it on the table. “Keep them,” she said before she rushed out to catch her sister.
     
    * * * * *
     
    “That didn’t go well,” Cole said as he opened the door to his apartment.
    Gretchen pushed past him. He noticed that she was nearly as tall as him. At least she was with those sparkly contraptions she had strapped onto her feet. Her crazy, curly hair flew out around her. Her cheeks were flushed, causing her freckles to stand out. Her dark eyes glittered with emotion.
    “Is she okay?” he asked as he followed her.
    “As okay as she ever is,” Gretchen said as she made a beeline for his couch. She tossed herself down into the cushions and blew out a frustrated breath. “I took her home. I wanted to stay with her. She made me leave.”
    He wanted to say, Just make yourself at home, why don’t you . He didn’t dare because he didn’t want to get on the bad side of his ally.
    Much earlier in the evening, he’d stopped by the bakery. He’d picked out a dozen doughnuts and then he’d asked Gretchen about Sarah. Maybe it had been a risky move. But he thought he’d seen something in Gretchen’s expression during that first meeting that had been welcoming. To his surprise, she’d been more than happy to chat about her sister.
    In fact, it was Gretchen that suggested he go to Lucky’s Tavern. She promised to make sure that Sarah would be there.
    With Gretchen on his side, he’d felt so sure that he’d