That Day by Karen Deen (best novels to read in english txt) 📕

out, Kurt’s hand grabs my arm.

“Asha.” His voice is soft and vulnerable.

Turning to look at him, I can see he is as miserable as I am.

“You know you can talk to me about anything, right? If something is worrying you, I’m here to listen.”

I want to blurt out everything that’s on my mind, but I bite my tongue.

“I know,” I reply softly.

“Trust me.” The words from his mouth slay me.

Pulling my arm free, I slip from the truck and head straight into the house. Coco meets me at the door, wanting all the attention. Giving her a small rub on the head, I keep moving into my office and close the door. Turning on the speaker, my writing playlist fills the air.

Sagging into my office chair, I lay my head back on the head rest, closing my eyes.

I should have known that things have been going too well.

My life altered that fateful day.

Stupidly I was starting to believe meeting Kurt may have been for a reason. That fate was going to bring happiness to take away the pain.

Sadly, I think I was wrong.

My eyes shut tight, I can feel tears building that I can’t afford to shed, so I squeeze them that little bit tighter.

I hate the dark.

The awful sense of fear creeps up my spine.

Please stop.

I don’t want to see it now.

Blood, it’s so red, running out from under her body.

The loudness of the shot. The soundwaves bouncing off the old concrete walls in the mansion. Echoing through my ears.

It won’t go away.

Make it go away.

The screaming, sobbing. His wounded soul crying out for his wife, and then the silence.

The deathly sound of the silence.

“I’m coming for you, bitch!”

Run, I need to run.

His eyes.

I hate the darkness because all I ever see are his eyes.

Run, I need to run.

The knocking on my office door has me jumping, my hand clutching my chest.

Run, I need to run.

“Baby, can I come in?”

Breathing in and out, I try to calm my racing heart.

“Um, yeah, sure,” I murmur, quickly shaking my mouse and bringing my laptop to life so it looks like I’m working.

Slowly the door opens, and Kurt comes in carrying a tray with a jug of iced tea and one of the orange poppyseed muffins that we bought yesterday.

“I thought you might like some tea while you write.” As he places it down on my desk, I can’t help but feel a tingle at this small gesture of kindness.

He doesn’t wait for me to reply, just turns and leaves, pulling the door behind him.

Before the gap is completely closed, I call to him. “Kurt?”

His head pops back through the opening.

“Thank you, I appreciate it,” I say.

His mouth pulls up in a small smile, and with that, he is gone.

I might be bewildered and worried, but I can’t deny the intense connection between us.

That’s why this is all so confusing.

KURT

After we get back from breakfast, Asha disappears into her office to work. I listen for the keyboard noise coming out of Asha’s office to let me know she’s writing.

She’s done me a favor, giving me time to breathe and regroup.

I step into the laundry and half close the door to muffle the noise of my phone call.

“Hey, what’s…?” my sister begins.

“Jodie, no time to chat. I need a favor.”

“Are you okay?” By the tone of my voice, she doesn’t bother trying to make a smartass comment like usual.

“Yes, but I need you to do something and don’t ask questions and don’t say anything to Asha.”

“Is it illegal?”

“No.”

“Then start talking.”

“I’m going to send you a list of food I need from the store. I need you to bring it to Asha’s house but not drive up the driveway. Message me when you’re on your way and I’ll run down. I’m going to give you some food to take away, and I want it thrown out, and don’t under any circumstances give it to anyone to eat. Do you understand me?”

“Kurt, you’re starting to freak me out.”

“Don’t worry, it’s all fine,” I say, trying to keep a calm voice so she feels better about what I’m saying.

“Is Asha with you? Because this all sounds weird.” I can tell that Jodie is already wanting to ask more but isn’t sure if she should.

“She’s here and safe. I just need you to trust me and keep this to yourself, and I need it done right now. Can you do it?”

The few seconds of silence starts me worrying she is going to say no. Then finally her voice comes down the phone. “Okay, but you are going to owe me a much bigger explanation than this and pronto.”

“Deal. List is coming and you will have it by the time you reach the market. And thanks, Sis, I knew I could trust you.” Pressing the END button before she has time to ask any more questions, my fingers are flying over the keypad on my phone, constructing a list to replace all the food in Asha’s fridge in case any of it has been tampered with.

You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to work out that water bottles in a fridge with all the seals already cracked is suspicious.

I already in my bones know that water test is going to come back with some sort of poison in it. I just don’t know what or who the hell put it in there.

Waiting on the new food arriving, I’m loading all the contents of the fridge into bags when my phone vibrates in my pocket.

Ghost: Can you talk?

Pushing the call button, again I step into the laundry to conceal my voice.

“Talk to me,” I say, not much louder than a whisper.

“Bottles are at the lab and they tell me within a few hours we’ll have results.” Ghost doesn’t screw around.

“Great. Thanks. But we both know what the answer will be, right?”

“Yep, and then what’s the plan?”

“To get her out of here. I need a place. Not an agency one.”

“What, you think I’m that stupid? Fuck, I thought you