149 Chapter 149
Seraphina’s POV 1
I couldn’t eat.
For the third morning in a row, I sat at the breakfast table staring at Margaret’s perfectly fluffy pancakes while my stomach churned with
something that had nothing to do with hunger.
“Honey?” Margaret’s voice sounded distant, like she was calling to me from underwater. “You need to eat something. You’re getting too
thin.”
I picked up my fork. Put it down. Picked it up again.
Damien’s voice echoed in my head for the thousandth time. The same words I’d heard through the walls three days ago. The same
broken tone that made my chest feel like it was being crushed.
“I’m not hungry,” I whispered.
Margaret exchanged one of those looks with Robert. “You need your strength,” Robert said gently. “Even just a few bites?”
I managed to force down a piece of pancake. It tasted like sawdust.
Caleb appeared in the doorway, hair damp from his morning shower, work clothes already on. His eyes went straight to my untouched
te, then to my face.
Something flickered in his expression. Concern. Understanding. Maybe pity.
“Morning,” he said, his voice carefully casual.
“Morning”
The word came out t. Empty. Like everything else these days.
He poured himself coffee and settled across from me, watching me with those kind eyes that saw too much.
“Sleep okay?” he asked.
“Fine”
Another lie. I hadn’t slept properly since that night. Every time I closed my eyes, I heard Damien’s voice. Felt his presence so close l
could almost touch him.
I pushed back from the table, my chair scraping against the floor. “I should get ready for work.”
“Sera, wait-”
But I was already moving, escaping to the bathroom where I could lock the door and lean against it and try to remember how to breathe.
The face in the mirror looked like a stranger. Dark circles under my eyes. Checks hollow from not eating. Hair pulled back in a messy braid because I couldn’t be bothered to do anything else with it.
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I looked like hell.
I looked like someone who’d made the biggest mistake of her life and couldn’t figure out how to fix it.
Work was a blur.
I answered phones. Scheduled appointments. Smiled at customers until my face hurt.
Caleb kept checking on me. Little nces when he thought I wasn’t looking. That concerned expression that made me want to scream.
“Mrs. Patterson’s here for her car,” I called out around noon.
“Got it!” His voice came from under a truck hood. “Keys are on the board!”
I handed them over with my practiced smile. “All set, Mrs. Patterson. Oil change is done, and Caleb checked your brakes. Everything
looks good.”
“Thank you, dear.” She studied my face with those sharp grandmother eyes. “Are you feeling alright? You look a bit under the weather.”
<b>“</b>Just tired,” I lied.
“Well, make sure you rest. And eat something! You’re too thin.”
After she left, I slumped in the desk chair and stared at nothing. The phone rang. I answered it mechanically.
“Morrison’s Auto Repair.”
“Hi, is this Sarah?”
“Yes.”
“Great! I’m calling about my truck. Can I schedule an oil change?”
I pulled up the calendar, my eyes scanning dates without really seeing them.
“Hello? Are you still there?”
“Sorry. Yes. How about Thursday at two?”
I hung up and pressed my palms against my eyes. The tears wouldn’te anymore. I’d cried myself dry over the past three days.
That evening, I was helping Margaret with dinner when Caleb came in looking distracted.
“Everything okay?” Margaret asked, stirring the pot of stew.
“Yeah. Just thinking.” He grabbed a beer from the fridge. “I need to make a supply run to the city tomorrow. Stock up on parts.”
My heart jumped. “The city?”
“Yeah. Auto Supply. They’ve got a sale on brake pads and I need to restock.”
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The city. Near Adrian’s school.
The thought hit me like lightning. Before I could stop myself, words were tumbling out.
“Can Ie with you?”
Caleb froze, beer halfway to his mouth. Margaret’s spoon stopped mid–stir. Even Robert looked up from his newspaper.
“What?” Caleb asked carefully.
“To the city. Can Ie?” My heart was racing now. “I just… I need to get out. See something different. I’m going crazy staying here.”
“Sera…” Caleb’s voice carried a warning. “You know that’s not a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Because.” He set the beer down, his expression serious. “Someone might recognize you.”
“No one will recognize me. I’ll wear a hat. Keep my head down.”
“Sera-
“Please.” The desperation in my voice surprised even me. “I just want to feel normal for a little while. Go somewhere that’s not here. I
promise I’ll be careful.”
Caleb studied my face, and I could see him trying to read between the lines. Trying to figure out what I really wanted.
“There’s more to this,” he said quietly. “Isn’t there?”
My throat tightened. I looked down at my hands.
“I just want to see him,” I whispered. “Just once. Just for a minute.”
“Him?”
“Adrian. My son. The words cracked as they came out. “His school isn’t far from the auto supply ce. I could just… I could see him from
a distance. He’d never know I was there.”
Margaret made a soft sound of sympathy. Robert folded his newspaper.
“Sera, Caleb said gently. “That’s a really bad idea.”
“I know,”
“If his father is looking for you-”
“I’ll be careful. I’ll stay hidden. I just….” My voice brokepletely. “I just need to see that he’s okay. Please, Caleb. Please.”
Caleb ran his hand through his hair, clearly torn.
“What if someone recognizes you?” he asked, “What if word gets back to=”
“It won’t. I’ll wear a hat and sunsses. Stay in the car if you want. I just need to see him. Even from far away. Even just for a second.”
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“This could blow everything,” Caleb warned. “All the hiding, all the careful nning. One person sees you, and it’s over.”
“I know.” I did know. But I couldn’t stop myself. “I know it’s stupid. I know it’s dangerous. But I can’t… I can’t do this anymore. I can’t not
know if he’s okay.”
Caleb looked at Margaret. At Robert. Back at me.
“You’re sure about <i>this</i>?”
“Yes.”
“And you understand that if anything goes wrong-”
“I understand.”
He was quiet for a long moment. Then he sighed, long and heavy.
“Okay” he said finally. “Okay. You cane.”