soundless scream. He fell to his side, lifeless, as if he took the bullet.
I jumped off the bed and kneeled in front of him, so he could see me from where his face landed on the pillow. His eyes were still shut, tears streaming silently down his face.
I reached up and stroked his hair. “It wasn’t her. It’s going to be all right.” Maybe if I kept saying it, I’d start believing it too.
The door opened, startling me. I turned to see who it could be, a little piece of me scared to see Matt pointing a gun at us. The only light in the room came in from the driveway, and now from the hallway through the open door.
Caroline flipped light switch, burning my eyes. My dad came in behind her. “It’s over.” She announced flatly. My dad slipped by her and came to me, I rose to hug him. Guilt washed over me for leaving Tristan’s side, but I needed my daddy right now.
“She’s okay,” Dad whispered into my ear. At once I felt all of the tension I didn’t even know had built leave my body.
Caroline sat on the bed beside Tristan, giving him the good news as well. It didn’t stop his tears, but now at least they were tears of relief as he held his aunt.
Chapter Eighteen
Keisha looked only slightly better than I felt, she came behind the counter to deposit a tray of dirty dishes in the washing pile. I couldn’t believe that anyone expected us to work that next morning, after turn of events last night. In business, the show must go on, and we were unexpectedly short staffed that morning. The restaurant was busier than usual that day, the swell of customers hoping for some gossip. I hoped my face said it all without a word.
Matt was dead. He’d shot himself instead of dealing with the consequences of the mess he created.
Taryn was safe. Shaken to the core, of course.
Burning my hands on hot water and steam was the only thing that reminded me that today was real. I couldn’t get my head in the game. Exhaustion, disbelief, heartbreak. How was I supposed to make coffee?
“Where are the twins?” I asked my mother. It didn’t surprise me they weren’t here after last night’s ordeal, but the silence surrounding them was eerie. Almost like we’d lost them too.
“Gone.”
“What do you mean, gone?” She ripped my heart out of my chest with a single word.
“Just what I said, gone. Their father had them flown out of here first thing this morning, in case there were any more threats towards them on the island.” My mother kept rolling dough like she was telling me the weather report.
“That can’t be.” I barely whispered.
“It is. Honestly, it’s for the best. They were nothing but trouble here. We don’t need that. I’m looking forward to getting back to our old routine. Now get back to work, Callie, it’s busy out there.”
Dismissed, as usual, like my feelings didn’t exist. I turned on my heel and headed back to the barista station that would now forever remind me of Tristan. I tried to regulate my breathing while I caught up on the back log of orders.
Gone. Like they were never even here. Like nothing had happened. Just business as usual.
I didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye. I thought I’d have a chance to say so many things between now and goodbye, and now that chance for all of that was gone, just like Tristan.
“How are you hanging in there, kiddo?” Keisha asked as she passed.
“The twins left this morning.” I announced.
“I know.” She scraped the bussed plates slowly, watching for my reaction.
“You knew? And you didn’t say anything?”
“I knew it would upset you. You’ve been through enough in the last day.”
“How did you know?” I winced as I burned my hand on coffee, and then tried to keep my composure as I placed the coffees on the counter.
“Ray told me. Turns out he is Secret Service, sent here because they knew Matthew was a threat. He’s going to be leaving shortly too, after the investigation wraps up.”
“Oh my God.”
“I know?
I jumped off the bed and kneeled in front of him, so he could see me from where his face landed on the pillow. His eyes were still shut, tears streaming silently down his face.
I reached up and stroked his hair. “It wasn’t her. It’s going to be all right.” Maybe if I kept saying it, I’d start believing it too.
The door opened, startling me. I turned to see who it could be, a little piece of me scared to see Matt pointing a gun at us. The only light in the room came in from the driveway, and now from the hallway through the open door.
Caroline flipped light switch, burning my eyes. My dad came in behind her. “It’s over.” She announced flatly. My dad slipped by her and came to me, I rose to hug him. Guilt washed over me for leaving Tristan’s side, but I needed my daddy right now.
“She’s okay,” Dad whispered into my ear. At once I felt all of the tension I didn’t even know had built leave my body.
Caroline sat on the bed beside Tristan, giving him the good news as well. It didn’t stop his tears, but now at least they were tears of relief as he held his aunt.
Chapter Eighteen
Keisha looked only slightly better than I felt, she came behind the counter to deposit a tray of dirty dishes in the washing pile. I couldn’t believe that anyone expected us to work that next morning, after turn of events last night. In business, the show must go on, and we were unexpectedly short staffed that morning. The restaurant was busier than usual that day, the swell of customers hoping for some gossip. I hoped my face said it all without a word.
Matt was dead. He’d shot himself instead of dealing with the consequences of the mess he created.
Taryn was safe. Shaken to the core, of course.
Burning my hands on hot water and steam was the only thing that reminded me that today was real. I couldn’t get my head in the game. Exhaustion, disbelief, heartbreak. How was I supposed to make coffee?
“Where are the twins?” I asked my mother. It didn’t surprise me they weren’t here after last night’s ordeal, but the silence surrounding them was eerie. Almost like we’d lost them too.
“Gone.”
“What do you mean, gone?” She ripped my heart out of my chest with a single word.
“Just what I said, gone. Their father had them flown out of here first thing this morning, in case there were any more threats towards them on the island.” My mother kept rolling dough like she was telling me the weather report.
“That can’t be.” I barely whispered.
“It is. Honestly, it’s for the best. They were nothing but trouble here. We don’t need that. I’m looking forward to getting back to our old routine. Now get back to work, Callie, it’s busy out there.”
Dismissed, as usual, like my feelings didn’t exist. I turned on my heel and headed back to the barista station that would now forever remind me of Tristan. I tried to regulate my breathing while I caught up on the back log of orders.
Gone. Like they were never even here. Like nothing had happened. Just business as usual.
I didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye. I thought I’d have a chance to say so many things between now and goodbye, and now that chance for all of that was gone, just like Tristan.
“How are you hanging in there, kiddo?” Keisha asked as she passed.
“The twins left this morning.” I announced.
“I know.” She scraped the bussed plates slowly, watching for my reaction.
“You knew? And you didn’t say anything?”
“I knew it would upset you. You’ve been through enough in the last day.”
“How did you know?” I winced as I burned my hand on coffee, and then tried to keep my composure as I placed the coffees on the counter.
“Ray told me. Turns out he is Secret Service, sent here because they knew Matthew was a threat. He’s going to be leaving shortly too, after the investigation wraps up.”
“Oh my God.”
“I know?