everything was whirling out of control and I had no idea how to stop it. Simon held me through all of it until I finally quieted down, left with nothing but an empty ache inside me. I pulled away when I felt like I had my emotions under control.
"Are you okay?"
I nodded, feeling embarrassed that Simon had heard my father's cruel words. I didn't want him to be a witness to my father's disdain for me. Even though it wasn't my fault, I still felt mortified by it. It was hard to look Simon in the eye so I lowered my gaze to my lap.
"Hey," Simon said softly, raising my head up again with a crooked finger. "It's not your fault. I've never met your father, but something is seriously wrong with him to speak to you like that. You're the most amazing girl I've ever met, especially now that I know everything you've been through. You're strong, beautiful, smart and courageous. Don't let your father take that away from you."
Simon knew exactly what I was feeling, and his words were a soothing balm. I tried to smile, although it was tremulous at best.
"Thank you."
Simon leaned in and rained light kisses on my tear-stained face, like he was trying to heal my wounds. When his lips finally found mine, I found all the love I had been craving my entire life.
Simon's eyes were ablaze with desire when we pulled apart but he gave me a wry smile. "With everything going on, I still can't keep my hands off you. What does that say about me?"
"It's says that you're the best thing that's ever happened to me." Simon's expression turned even more intense and he leaned in closer, but I stopped him with gentle hands on his shoulders. "Wait, I should call Sarah. I'm sure she's worried sick, and I want to let her know I'm okay. I'm worried too. If...if your vardoger has possessed your body, maybe the same thing happened to her."
I quickly pressed the button on my cell phone for Sarah, frowning when it went straight to voicemail. I left a brief message telling her I was okay and to call me back as soon as she got my voicemail.
"She didn't pick up," I said, worriedly, as I checked the time. "She doesn't have class right now, she should be home. I hope she's okay."
Simon grabbed his phone. "I'll call Grant and ask him to check on her."
My concern was growing with each second as Simon waited for Grant to answer.
"Hey, Grant." Simon paused for a moment. "Yeah, I found her. She's okay. Listen, have you seen Sarah today?" I watched Simon talking to Grant, straining to hear Grant on the other end but he was speaking too quietly.
"Do you mind checking to see if she's in her apartment? I'll wait on the phone." Simon squeezed my hand reassuringly, although it wasn't quite effective since I could see the concern in his eyes.
"Tell him to use his spare key to go inside our apartment," I whispered and Simon obliged. I didn't feel any better when Simon's lips tightened as he listened to Grant.
"No? Can you check with Jenny and Marcus to see if they've seen her or heard from her? She left last night on the train and we're a little worried that she has her phone turned off. I watched her get on the train so she has to be back at school." Simon paused, nodding as he listened to Grant. "Okay, thanks. Call me as soon as you hear anything."
"She's not there," I said flatly, a statement instead of a question because it was clear, from Simon's end of the conversation, that no one had seen her.
"She could just be on campus or something. Or maybe she's somewhere that doesn't get cell phone reception. Grant is going to check with Jenny and Marcus and look for her."
"She never turns off her phone! Never!" It was physically painful to consider the possibility that something had happened to Sarah. "We need to get back to Maxwell."
Simon was in full agreement and we left immediately. Now that I had found Aunt Brenda's journal, there was nothing left for me here. Certainly not my aunt or her inner circle. They had vanished into thin air. I glanced at Simon's grim profile
"Are you okay?"
I nodded, feeling embarrassed that Simon had heard my father's cruel words. I didn't want him to be a witness to my father's disdain for me. Even though it wasn't my fault, I still felt mortified by it. It was hard to look Simon in the eye so I lowered my gaze to my lap.
"Hey," Simon said softly, raising my head up again with a crooked finger. "It's not your fault. I've never met your father, but something is seriously wrong with him to speak to you like that. You're the most amazing girl I've ever met, especially now that I know everything you've been through. You're strong, beautiful, smart and courageous. Don't let your father take that away from you."
Simon knew exactly what I was feeling, and his words were a soothing balm. I tried to smile, although it was tremulous at best.
"Thank you."
Simon leaned in and rained light kisses on my tear-stained face, like he was trying to heal my wounds. When his lips finally found mine, I found all the love I had been craving my entire life.
Simon's eyes were ablaze with desire when we pulled apart but he gave me a wry smile. "With everything going on, I still can't keep my hands off you. What does that say about me?"
"It's says that you're the best thing that's ever happened to me." Simon's expression turned even more intense and he leaned in closer, but I stopped him with gentle hands on his shoulders. "Wait, I should call Sarah. I'm sure she's worried sick, and I want to let her know I'm okay. I'm worried too. If...if your vardoger has possessed your body, maybe the same thing happened to her."
I quickly pressed the button on my cell phone for Sarah, frowning when it went straight to voicemail. I left a brief message telling her I was okay and to call me back as soon as she got my voicemail.
"She didn't pick up," I said, worriedly, as I checked the time. "She doesn't have class right now, she should be home. I hope she's okay."
Simon grabbed his phone. "I'll call Grant and ask him to check on her."
My concern was growing with each second as Simon waited for Grant to answer.
"Hey, Grant." Simon paused for a moment. "Yeah, I found her. She's okay. Listen, have you seen Sarah today?" I watched Simon talking to Grant, straining to hear Grant on the other end but he was speaking too quietly.
"Do you mind checking to see if she's in her apartment? I'll wait on the phone." Simon squeezed my hand reassuringly, although it wasn't quite effective since I could see the concern in his eyes.
"Tell him to use his spare key to go inside our apartment," I whispered and Simon obliged. I didn't feel any better when Simon's lips tightened as he listened to Grant.
"No? Can you check with Jenny and Marcus to see if they've seen her or heard from her? She left last night on the train and we're a little worried that she has her phone turned off. I watched her get on the train so she has to be back at school." Simon paused, nodding as he listened to Grant. "Okay, thanks. Call me as soon as you hear anything."
"She's not there," I said flatly, a statement instead of a question because it was clear, from Simon's end of the conversation, that no one had seen her.
"She could just be on campus or something. Or maybe she's somewhere that doesn't get cell phone reception. Grant is going to check with Jenny and Marcus and look for her."
"She never turns off her phone! Never!" It was physically painful to consider the possibility that something had happened to Sarah. "We need to get back to Maxwell."
Simon was in full agreement and we left immediately. Now that I had found Aunt Brenda's journal, there was nothing left for me here. Certainly not my aunt or her inner circle. They had vanished into thin air. I glanced at Simon's grim profile
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