Rise (New Haven Book 3) by Sara Jo Cluff

Rise (New Haven Book 3) by Sara Jo Cluff

Author:Sara Jo Cluff [Cluff, Sara Jo]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-08-26T05:00:00+00:00


The communication device sat there, next to my hand, willing me to hold it. I stared at it for a few minutes, not sure I wanted to talk to the person on the other end. It had been too long since I’d last heard her voice.

“Do you want us to leave you alone?” Dee asked.

I looked up at Tina and Dee, both staring at me, their faces sympathetic. Clearing my throat, I nodded. “Yes. I think this is a conversation I need to do on my own.”

Tina stood. “I understand.” She gently hugged me and then left the room.

Dee’s hug wasn’t as gentle. When she pulled away, she ran her fingers over my braid and pulled it forward, so it rested against my collar bone. “I’ll be outside. Good luck.”

“Thanks.” I nodded at the door. “Will you shut the door on your way out?”

Dee left without another word, closing the door behind her.

I ran my finger along the edge of the communication device, debating whether I should pick it up. The device itself was one I’d never seen before. Most of ours were black rectangles in various sizes, with different knobs and buttons for changing channels, volume control, and powering it on. The one near my hand was small, silver, and more of an oval, with only two buttons: one to turn it on and off, and one you held down when talking.

Closing my eyes, I rested my head against my pillow and took a few deep breaths. I hoped to calm my racing heart, but it didn’t work.

I had mixed feelings about my mom. She hadn’t had a big role in my life growing up. She just seemed to be there, in the background, coming and going as she pleased. One day she’d be talking to me like everything was normal, acting as a real mother would. The next day, she would be closed off, avoiding me like an earthquake that destroyed the earth.

My dad told me over and over again how much my mother loved me and wished she didn’t have to work so much. But I’d never heard the words come from her mouth. I desperately wanted to believe my father, but I had no reason why I should.

The fact that she had cheated on my dad with the man I loathed most in the world didn’t sit well with me. Plus, the fact that I was that man’s daughter left me feeling sick to my stomach. I wasn’t sure if I could ever forgive her.

But then again, if it weren’t for the affair, I wouldn’t have been born. I wouldn’t have my amazing friends. I wouldn’t have Eric.

Taking a few more breaths, I picked up the communication device and turned it on. I held it up to my lips, pressed down on the talk button, and forced myself to speak. “Hello?”

The minutes following that one word were tortuous. I twisted my ring around and around on my finger, anxiously waiting to hear a response. By the time it came, my throat was completely dry.



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