disbelieving laugh escaping her lips. “What are you doing here?”
“I should be asking you that question.” He held her, startled by her easy affection and oddly grateful for it.
“I…I’m singing.” She pulled away from him, feeling awkward. “Did you…”
“See? Yeah, I saw.” He tapped under her chin to bring her eyes back to his. “I never thought I’d see you on a stage.”
“I know, right?” She laughed and adjusted her wig, making sure it was still in place. “Shy little Sadie, scared of her own shadow…”
“No, shy little Sadie who swore she’d never be like her parents.”
She felt a lump form in her throat and tried to swallow it. “I’m not like them. I just sing for fun.”
“You killed it out there. I’d say you’re more like them than you realize.”
The observation bothered her, but she tried not to show it. “Thanks…so how have you been?”
Brody tucked his hands into the pockets of his slacks. “Not as good as you. You look great.”
“Thanks…again.” She crossed her arms for lack of something better to do and tried to act cool. Why was she so awkward? He was just an old friend. Though everything was different now, wasn’t it? She wasn’t even that same person anymore. And he…well, he looked like life had dealt some heavy blows that sharpened every last edge of him. “Anyway, I should probably—”
“Excuse me.” Tess stormed over, stepping between Brody and Sadie. She eyed Brody with intense dislike. “You need to go now.”
A cynical smile twisted his lips. “Hey, Tess. Long time no see.”
“This was a cute little reunion but it’s over.” Tess turned to Sadie, reaching for her arm. “C’mon, let’s go.”
“Oh.” Sadie blinked in confusion, staring back and forth between the two of them. “Okay. Why?”
“He’s bad news, honey. Just trust me.”
Sadie locked eyes with Brody. “You won’t tell anyone about me singing, right?”
Tess scoffed. “If he does, he can expect a big fat lawsuit coming his way.”
Brody ignored Tess, his irritation softening at the fear he saw on Sadie’s face. She was clearly terrified of everyone knowing who she really was. “My lips are sealed.”
“They better be.” Tess led Sadie toward the car, leaving Brody behind.
He rocked back on his heels, sad to see her go. Again. “You never said goodbye to me, Sadie. Not then or now.”
Sadie shot a look over her shoulder and managed a smile, amused by him despite Tess’s warning. “Goodbye, Brody.”
Seconds later they were climbing into the car. When Sadie turned to look back, he was already gone.
W HAT DO you know that you’re not telling me?”
Tess shrugged. “Nothing.”
“Liar.” Sadie pouted, turning to stare out the passenger window as Tess drove her home. The beautiful city lights did little to distract her from the burning questions in her mind. “Why did you act that way to Brody?”
When Tess said nothing, Sadie glanced over at her. She saw her friend looking, surprisingly, at a loss for words.
“I guess I’m surprised you don’t already know,” Tess finally admitted, keeping her eyes on the road. Lights flashed over her face, casting odd shadows that darkened her eyes. “Then again, you’ve been living in the boondocks for the last decade. You probably don’t keep up with the news.”
An icy ball of dread dropped into Sadie’s stomach. “What are you talking about?”
Anger tightened Tess’s face and chased away her apprehension. “About two years ago he was one of the top photojournalists in the country. He had a gift. He could get the most incredible photographs you’d ever seen. Uprisings, protests, war—if there was something happening across the Atlantic you could bet he was there with his camera, ready to record history. National Geographic was even interested in him which is rare, especially for someone so young. Anyway, he went to the Middle East to cover our military’s advances in
“I should be asking you that question.” He held her, startled by her easy affection and oddly grateful for it.
“I…I’m singing.” She pulled away from him, feeling awkward. “Did you…”
“See? Yeah, I saw.” He tapped under her chin to bring her eyes back to his. “I never thought I’d see you on a stage.”
“I know, right?” She laughed and adjusted her wig, making sure it was still in place. “Shy little Sadie, scared of her own shadow…”
“No, shy little Sadie who swore she’d never be like her parents.”
She felt a lump form in her throat and tried to swallow it. “I’m not like them. I just sing for fun.”
“You killed it out there. I’d say you’re more like them than you realize.”
The observation bothered her, but she tried not to show it. “Thanks…so how have you been?”
Brody tucked his hands into the pockets of his slacks. “Not as good as you. You look great.”
“Thanks…again.” She crossed her arms for lack of something better to do and tried to act cool. Why was she so awkward? He was just an old friend. Though everything was different now, wasn’t it? She wasn’t even that same person anymore. And he…well, he looked like life had dealt some heavy blows that sharpened every last edge of him. “Anyway, I should probably—”
“Excuse me.” Tess stormed over, stepping between Brody and Sadie. She eyed Brody with intense dislike. “You need to go now.”
A cynical smile twisted his lips. “Hey, Tess. Long time no see.”
“This was a cute little reunion but it’s over.” Tess turned to Sadie, reaching for her arm. “C’mon, let’s go.”
“Oh.” Sadie blinked in confusion, staring back and forth between the two of them. “Okay. Why?”
“He’s bad news, honey. Just trust me.”
Sadie locked eyes with Brody. “You won’t tell anyone about me singing, right?”
Tess scoffed. “If he does, he can expect a big fat lawsuit coming his way.”
Brody ignored Tess, his irritation softening at the fear he saw on Sadie’s face. She was clearly terrified of everyone knowing who she really was. “My lips are sealed.”
“They better be.” Tess led Sadie toward the car, leaving Brody behind.
He rocked back on his heels, sad to see her go. Again. “You never said goodbye to me, Sadie. Not then or now.”
Sadie shot a look over her shoulder and managed a smile, amused by him despite Tess’s warning. “Goodbye, Brody.”
Seconds later they were climbing into the car. When Sadie turned to look back, he was already gone.
W HAT DO you know that you’re not telling me?”
Tess shrugged. “Nothing.”
“Liar.” Sadie pouted, turning to stare out the passenger window as Tess drove her home. The beautiful city lights did little to distract her from the burning questions in her mind. “Why did you act that way to Brody?”
When Tess said nothing, Sadie glanced over at her. She saw her friend looking, surprisingly, at a loss for words.
“I guess I’m surprised you don’t already know,” Tess finally admitted, keeping her eyes on the road. Lights flashed over her face, casting odd shadows that darkened her eyes. “Then again, you’ve been living in the boondocks for the last decade. You probably don’t keep up with the news.”
An icy ball of dread dropped into Sadie’s stomach. “What are you talking about?”
Anger tightened Tess’s face and chased away her apprehension. “About two years ago he was one of the top photojournalists in the country. He had a gift. He could get the most incredible photographs you’d ever seen. Uprisings, protests, war—if there was something happening across the Atlantic you could bet he was there with his camera, ready to record history. National Geographic was even interested in him which is rare, especially for someone so young. Anyway, he went to the Middle East to cover our military’s advances in
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