Epoch (Transcend Duet #2)(6)

“That’s not quite it either.”

“Then what?”

“Go to work, Professor. I don’t want to talk about Griffin with you.”

He moves toward me. I hate how he moves toward me, or maybe it’s the way he looks at me when he’s doing it. It’s familiar—too familiar. And comfortable. And … unnerving. Completely unnerving.

He lowers onto his hands and knees. “Have a good day,” he says, kissing Morgan on the cheek. She kicks and rewards him with a grin. When he lifts his head, he stops just inches from my face.

Way. Too. Close.

“Congratulations,” he murmurs. “I’m glad you found a real boyfriend.”

My lungs collapse.

Daisy …

“Fine. I’ll be your girlfriend, but only until I find a real boyfriend.”

“A real boyfriend?”

“Yes. A real boyfriend. One who brings me flowers and chocolate and opens doors for me like my dad opens doors for my mom. And one who kisses me right here.” She pointed to a spot on her neck just below her ear. “My dad kisses my mom there, and it always makes her giggle.”

Nate’s gaze shifts to my neck, right below my ear. I swear to God I will shatter if he kisses me there. But not just because it’s wrong. I’ll shatter because I know I won’t stop him. It’s not about wanting him or loving him. Griffin is the love of my life. There’s just this indescribable need I have to know what Nate’s lips feel like against my neck.

Will it feel as familiar as the other times we’ve touched?

Will it bring more memories to life?

Will I feel what Daisy felt when he kissed her under her ear?

Will I hate myself for letting him do it? For needing to know? For risking everything?

“Breathe, Swayze.”

I attempt to stifle my gasp—my reaction to his proximity. Nate grins like the boy I used to know as he lumbers to standing.

Like the boy I used to know …

“Be good, girls.” He winks and walks away before making sure I have a pulse. Not very responsible of him.

*

Morgan and I spend the day in Nate’s bedroom, taking complete liberty of his offer to let me snoop. I’m certain I surpassed snooping hours ago, about the same time I shut off all thoughts of the camera watching me. Flashes of Erica and Daisy haunt me. I can’t let this go.

Something takes over inside, and I tear apart his room and closet, looking for anything to fill in the gaps. When every drawer is pulled from the dresser and dumped out onto the floor, revealing no new clues, I move on to his office. I’m not sure who this woman is inside of me, this possessed demon rummaging through everything, leaving a mess in my wake.

Nothing.

When Morgan’s patience ends, I get her a bottle and plant my ass amongst the sea of scattered photos on Nate’s bed. I need answers, but they’re not here.

“Hey.”

I snap my head up as Morgan drifts off to sleep with a tiny bit of milk left in her bottle.

Nate surveys the ransacked room. Wait until he sees his office. “Find what you were looking for?” he says slowly like put the gun down.

I shake my head, feeling defeated. Numb.

“Why don’t I lay her down? Then maybe I can help you.”

I nod, letting the bottle fall from my grip as he takes Morgan from me. A few minutes later he returns, making another inspection of the disaster.

“I need to know how Daisy died,” I say in an agonizing whisper.

Nate gathers up as many photos from the bed as he can at once, sets them on the nightstand, and eases onto the bed, resting his head on the pillow. He stares at the ceiling.

“Daisy’s mom called my house, wondering if she was with me. I hadn’t seen her in over a week.”

“Sorry, Mrs. Gallagher, she’s not here. I don’t know if she told you but … we kinda broke up. It’s my fault. I need to apologize.”

“Sweetie, I know. She was very emotional about it.”

I died inside. I’d hurt Daisy because of my stupid pride.

“But right now we just need to find her,” her mom said.

I glanced at the microwave clock. It was almost nine o’clock at night. I listed off every friend she had, but they’d tried everyone.

“We’re very worried. Do you have any idea where she’d be? A secret hideout? A favorite restaurant? A … new boyfriend?”

I flinched. A real boyfriend.

No. No way. Not in a week. We were only fifteen, but she loved me.

“There is this place we used to go, but I made her promise to not go back.”

“Where, Nate? I’m going out of my mind. My next call will be the police.”

“Come get me and I’ll show you how to get there.”

Mr. and Mrs. Gallagher drove me to the abandoned property that was not really abandoned. I didn’t mention it at first.

“Who lives here?” her dad asked as we pulled in the driveway.

“No one. Or so we thought until …”

“Until?” Her mom turned in her seat, pinning me with a firm look.

“Last week Morgan told me she met the son of the owners. His parents are both dead, so he came back to take care of some things. I made her promise to never come back here … especially alone.”