A Single Glance (Irresistible Attraction #1)(5)

My gaze focuses on the first lines of the book, skimming them but finding no recollection of this tale in my memory. I have no idea what the book is, but as I flip through the pages, I notice some of the sentences are underlined in pen.

He loves like there’s no reason not to. That’s the first line I see, and it makes me pause until the conversation pulls me away.

“Before she died, she told me things.” Miranda’s large eyes stare deep into mine.

Jenny told me things too. Things I’ll never forget. Warnings I thought were only paranoia.

As Miranda’s thin lips part, my boss, Aiden, walks up to us in a tailored suit and Miranda shies back. My lips pull into a tight smile as he hugs me.

“You’re dressed to the nines,” I compliment him with a sad smile, not bothering to hide the pain in my voice. Miranda leaves me before I can say another word to her. She ducks her head, getting distance from me as quickly as she can. My eyes follow her as Aiden speaks.

“You okay?”

My head tilts and my eyes water as I reply, “Okay is such a vague word, don’t you think?”

He’s older than me, and not quite a friend, but not just a boss either. The second my arms reach around his jacket, accepting his embrace, he holds me a little tighter and I hate how much comfort I get from it.

From something so simple. So genuine. My circle is small, but I like to keep it that way. And Aiden is one of the few people in it. He’s one of the few people I can be myself with.

“I heard you didn’t go… that it was today?” he asks me, although it’s more of a statement, my face still pressed against his chest.

I won’t cry. I won’t do it.

Not until I’m alone anyway. I can’t hide behind anger then. There’s nowhere to hide when you’re lying in bed by yourself.

“I couldn’t bring myself,” I tell him, intending on saying more, but my bottom lip wobbles and I have to pull away.

He’s reluctant, but he lets me and I find my own arms wrapping around myself. Looking back to where Jenny’s friends were, I notice they’re gone, along with a lot of the crowd.

Maybe they heard my unspoken wishes.

“You need to take time off.” Aiden’s words shock me. Full-blown shock me.

My head shakes on its own and I struggle to come up with something to refute him. Money seems like the most logical reason, but Aiden beats me to it.

“There was a pool at work, and the other nurses are giving you some of their days for PTO. You have your own banked, plus the bereavement leave. And I know you have vacation time too.”

“They don’t have to do that…” My voice is low, full of disbelief. At Rockford, the local youth mental hospital, I know everyone more than I should, especially the night shift. But I wouldn’t ever expect any of them to give me their time off. I don’t expect anything from anyone.

“They can’t do that. They’ll need those days for themselves.” They don’t even know me really. I’m taken aback that they would do such a thing.

“It’s a day here and a day there, it adds up and you need it.”

“I’m fine-”

“My ass you are.” Aiden’s profanity draws my gaze to his, and the wrinkles around his eyes seem more pronounced. His age shows in this moment. “You need time off.”

Time off.

More time alone.

“I don’t want it.”

“You’re going to take it. You need to get your head on right, Fawn.” His voice is stern as my body chills from a gust of air blowing into the dining room when my front door opens once again. More guests leaving.

“How many days?” I ask him, feeling defeat, so much of it, already laying its weight against me.

“You have six weeks,” he informs me and it feels like a death sentence. My heart sinks to the pit of my stomach as my front door closes with a resounding click.

With his hands on my shoulders he tells me, “You need to get better.”

Holding back the pain is a challenge, but I manage to breathe out with only a single tear shed. Six weeks.

The next breath comes easier.

I tell myself I’ll take some time off, but not to get better.

My breathing is almost back to normal at my next thought.

But to find the men responsible for what happened to my sister.





My eyes are burning and heavy, but I can’t sleep.

I’m exhausted and want to lie down, but my legs are restless and my heart is wide awake, banging inside of me. I need to do something to take this agony away. Staring back at The Coverless Book beside me on the side table, I lean to the left, flicking on the lamp while still seated on my sofa.



The Coverless Book

Prologue





I’m invincible. I tell myself as I pull the blanket up tighter.

My heart races, so fast in my chest. It’s scared like I am.

Jake is coming.

He’s going to see me here in my house, and then where could I possibly hide from him? Where could I hide my blush?

Maybe behind this blanket?

“Miss?” Miss Caroline calls into the room, and I perk up.

“Yes?”

“Your guest is here,” she announces and I give her a nod, feeling that heat rise to my cheeks and my heart fluttering as she gives me a knowing smile and I hide my brief laugh. Caroline knows all my secrets.