Sempre (Forever Series #1)(136)
“And you’re half-asleep and don’t know what the f**k you’re saying.” He kissed her as he stood. “I have to go or I’m gonna be late for this f**king test.”
“Good luck.”
“Thanks, tesoro. I’ll see you in a few hours.”
She listened as his footsteps descended the stairs, an odd feeling overcoming her. It felt like all the happiness had been sucked from the room.
* * *
Haven had made her way down to the kitchen and poured a glass of juice when a door closed somewhere on the first floor. She tensed instinctively as footsteps started in her direction. Relax, she told herself. It’s only Dr. DeMarco.
“Good morning,” he said when he walked in.
It was the most he had spoken to her in days. “Morning, sir.”
He appeared disheveled, dark circles under his eyes. He was worn down by life, and Haven wondered, as she gazed at him, how much of that she’d caused.
“I’m leaving for Chicago. Do you need anything before I go?”
The Mazda was in the body shop getting fixed, so Carmine had been driving the Audi around. “I’m fine, thank you.”
Dr. DeMarco departed a few minutes later, while Haven spent the morning dusting the same things she dusted every other day that week. It was sometime after eleven, and she was cleaning out the pantry when a vehicle pulled up outside. Walking to the window, Haven gazed out at the unfamiliar blue car in the driveway.
The driver’s side door opened, and Jen, the nurse from the hospital, stepped out. Haven headed for the foyer, but the sound of the doorbell ringing stopped her dead in her tracks. Something about it sent a chill down her spine, coldness radiating through her so quickly she thought she would be sick.
Something wasn’t right. She could feel it.
She grabbed the phone from the family room, hesitating before pressing the speed dial for Dr. DeMarco’s cell phone. Leaning against the wall, she waited while it rang.
“Is everything okay?” Dr. DeMarco asked. She had never called him before. She never thought she would have to. “What’s going on?”
The doorbell rang again, making her flinch. “I’m not sure, sir.”
“Is that the door? Is someone there?”
“It’s the nurse you work with. I was going to answer, but—”
“No,” he said sharply, his tone frightening her into immediate silence. The doorbell rang a few times in succession before Jen knocked on the door. “Don’t answer it, child. Get a hold of Carmine. I don’t want you alone right now.”
Something was definitely wrong if Dr. DeMarco sensed it.
“Set the alarm. The code’s 62373.”
She already knew it, but Haven wasn’t going to say anything.
Hanging up, Haven clutched the phone as she tiptoed to the door, punching in the code and pressing the button to activate the alarm. Jen stopped knocking after a moment, her muffled voice carrying through the door as Haven pressed her ear to it to listen. “What do you want me to do? She isn’t answering . . . Yes, I’m sure she’s there . . . Doc left this morning like he was supposed to.”
There was a pause as Haven’s heart pounded furiously. They wanted her?
“No, she’s not with him. He’s taking that test, remember?” Jen continued, the distress in her voice alarming. “I know, but please don’t be mad! I promise I’ll make this work. I know what it means to you.”
Haven’s knees nearly gave out as Jen pounded again. “Hello? Are you in there?”
Haven scampered over to the side, huddling in the corner as she dialed Carmine’s number on speed dial. It went straight to voice mail, and Haven let out a shaky breath.
“I’m going to break in if you don’t answer this door!” Jen yelled, her demeanor turning from eagerness to anger. “I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you ruin this for me!”
Jen beat on the windows as Haven looked back down at the phone. Without hesitation, her fingers dialed the number that popped into her head: 555–0121.
She had stared at the paper with the phone number so much it had been burned into her mind. It rang as she curled into herself, fighting to keep her composure.
The phone was picked up after the fourth ring, the voice tentative. “Uh, hello?”
“Nicholas.” She spoke as quietly as she could. “It’s Haven.”
“Haven? Are you okay?”
“Yes. Well, at least, I think I am, but I need help and I don’t know who else to ask. Dr. DeMarco told me to get ahold of Carmine, but his phone isn’t on. He broke it, I think.”
“So . . . you’re calling me instead?”
“Yes,” she said, “to find him.”
“Wait, you want me to track down your boyfriend?”
She sighed. “Yes, I need him to come home.”
“And you think this is a good idea? No offense, but I’m not in the mood for another fight.”
“I know, but it’s important. Please? He’s taking a test at the high school. The SAT thing.”
“Jesus, you not only want me to tell Carmine what to do, but you want me to trespass on school property and drag him out of the SAT? He’s going to kill me. I’m going to die today.”
“He’ll understand,” she said as Jen wiggled the knob of the front door.