I needed to leave. Desperately.
“And remember when we went on vacation to the Caymans together? How much fun we had?”
I ran a hand through my hair, exasperated with Vanessa’s attempt to go down memory lane. She’d kept me captive for what seemed an eternity. I reached for the phone in my pocket in order to check the time, only to remember I’d given it to my mom. Shit. I couldn’t even text Teagan to let her know I was held up.
“Vanessa, I can appreciate our history, but it’s in the past. It’s time to move forward. I need to go.”
She hadn’t given me the ring yet, instead cradling it in her hands as though she couldn’t bear to part with it.
“Keep the ring.”
“But I want to give it back.”
“Then do, but either way, I’m leaving.” I was already at the double doors and soon found something had been propped on the other side to block my way out. “What the hell is this?”
“Your mom and my parents—they really wish we could work things out.”
“So they decided to block the doors?”
This was insane. But I suddenly recollected Imelda the psychic’s words: “Don’t let the past trap you.” I’d thought she meant figuratively, not literally.
I surveyed the room for a hotel phone, but evidently, they’d thought to remove it. After banging on the doors, I put my weight against them. “Let me out.”
“We’re doing this for your own good, darling,” came my mom’s voice.
I turned toward Vanessa. “Tell them to let us out. Now.”
“Only if you promise to fly to New Hampshire with me for a few days. We could go to couples therapy.”
“I don’t know how else to say this. I don’t love you any longer. We are not a couple, and we will never be again. It’s over.”
Her face morphed into ugly-cry mode, but I was too busy trying to find an escape route to care. I walked out to the balcony and judged the distance between it and the one belonging to the room next door. An athlete I was not, but desperate times and all that.
Man dies from balcony fall while trying to get away from cheating ex-fiancée.
I could see the headline now. But as I was about to climb up and take my chances, the sound of loud voices came from the other room, and the French doors opened. Chance absorbed the situation, glancing from me to Vanessa and back again.
“I totally understand your desire to jump, but we both know athleticism was never really your forte. I think the door makes a better option.”
Without a backward glance at Vanessa, I strode out. In the living area, I glared at my mother who didn’t have the good sense to look contrite over her actions. “Give me my phone.”
She handed it over without a fuss, and I was out the front door with Chance on my heels. I didn’t stop until I hit the elevator.
“Jesus, I knew our mother was crazy, but this is another level.”
“I have a feeling it gets worse. You may want to look at your phone. Specifically, at the messages you’ve supposedly sent to Teagan.”
Dread pooled in my belly, and I looked down. “There’s nothing. Shit. Mom must’ve deleted the text message string. Christ, I can’t find Teagan’s contact info either.” My phone was the only place I had Teagan’s number, and I only had her work email address. I’d have to call the office to retrieve it. “I need to get to her.”
“You may already be too late.”
My head snapped toward Chance as the elevator doors opened onto my floor.
He had to be wrong. A series of text messages couldn’t have caused Teagan to flee, no matter what they’d said. Yet my hand shook when I put my key card in our hotel room door. I walked in to find the only signs of her to be the designer clothing and shoes purposefully left behind.
Suddenly a thought slammed through my mind, and I turned to my brother. “How did you know where to find me? How did you know Teagan would be gone and that Mom had tampered with my phone? Were you in on this?”
Chance shook his head. “Of course not. You think I want to see you with Vanessa? No way. But what I’m about to tell you won’t make you happy either.”
