Three Strand Cord Complete Series Omnibus by Tracy Krauss

Author:Tracy Krauss
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fictitious Ink Publishing

CHAPTER 18

Cherise lifted the lacy curtain and stared out at the grey mist. From this vantage point, sitting on the window seat in her little girl bedroom, the scenery was that of an old black and white horror flick. Blurry, dull, and monochrome. The kind of cold, inhospitable weather that was the precursor to winter. Inside, she felt just as chilled.

Cherise sighed and let the curtain drop. Running away seemed like the best idea at the time. She knew that to her friends she must appear unfeeling and selfish. Maybe she was. That’s what everyone thought, so why not play the part?

Her phone buzzed and she glanced at the screen. Tempest. Again. She’d received at least ten messages that first day, wanting to make sure she was okay. At first she hadn’t even answered, but guilt - and Tempest’s persistence - had gotten the better of her and she’d answered with something short and upbeat, promising to call when she had time. Looks like Tempest had run out of patience.

“Hey, I was just going to call you,” Cherise lied, putting on the most cheerful tone she could muster.

“Oh? I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” Tempest asked.

“No. Just contemplating the weather.” At least that was true. “It’s raining again.”

“I see. So what’s going on?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean, Cherise. Why did you take off so suddenly after the funeral? Everyone was worried.”

“No beating around the bush, I see.”

“Well… It was rather sudden. I figured there must be a reason and I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“I told you I’m fine. I just needed to get out of there. I don’t do well at funerals. Too morbid.”

“That sounds rather selfish under the circumstances.”

“Thanks.” There was a sarcastic edge to Cherise’s voice.

“Which is not like the Cherise I know,” Tempest added.

“Maybe I’ve been fooling you all these years,” Cherise said quietly. Self loathing, conceived in Italy and incubated these past months, had become an unshakable companion. “What if I’m actually just selfish? If the shoe fits, as they say…”

“Stop it, Cherise. Deep down you’re a kind and compassionate person and I know something happened that made you run.”

“Very deep, apparently.”

“Stop feeling sorry for yourself and talk to me.”

“Did Stella put you up to this?”

“Of course not. Stella is still grieving. I’ve just been worried - about both of you. Now that I’m back home I thought we could talk about it. Freely.”

“Without Stella asking questions, you mean.”

“She has a lot on her plate right now.”

“True, but there’s nothing to explain. I told you already.”

Tempest sighed on the other end. “Look. I wanted to hear you admit it, but I might as well tell you that everyone knows you and Blue slept together again.”

Cherise stopped and took this information in. “Who told you?”

“Blue. Is that why you took off when you did?”

“I told you, I didn’t just take off, I -”

“Stop!”

Cherise blinked. Tempest had never been the forceful one, but obviously she was changing. They all were. They weren’t the little girls they had been in boarding school all those years ago.

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