Tracing Hearts (16 page)

“Just wondering,” he simply says.

Oh.

“My turn. Have you ever been married?”

His expression is one of shock. He scoffs.

“No.”

“Any children floating around the world?” I ask with a smirk.

“Definitely not.” I raise one eyebrow at him. “What? I’m not a virgin, if that’s what your look means. I’ve just always been very careful.”

Something about the way he says that, cause me to giggle-snort. I cover my mouth, then I giggle again because I snorted. He grins.

“You’re such a girl.”

“I’m glad you noticed,” I say, still giggling.

He rolls his eyes, but can’t seem to hide his boyish smile. It’s the same one from the picture in my wallet.

“My turn now. Checkers or Chess?”

His question throws me.

“What?”

“Do you prefer playing Checkers or Chess?”

Where’s he going with this?

“I don’t know. Checkers, I guess. I don’t know how to play Chess.”

His surprised look makes me giggle…again.

“Why, Miss Bessette, how have you gotten to the ripe old age of twenty-four and never learned how to play Chess?” I shrug. “Well, we’ll have to remedy that at the soonest possible moment.”

I giggle again.

“Is it really that important a skill?”

“Yes. It’s essential.”

“Okay then,” I say. “I’d be delighted to be your Chess student.” I curtsy, and we both laugh.

We go on to talk about everything from our days of writing back and forth, to what we’ve been doing since. I hear all about different military training maneuvers, although I must admit, I’m half listening. I just like to hear him talk. His voice gets so excited and his gestures so animated, when he speaks about something he enjoys. After a couple hours of walking and talking, we decide it’s getting late, so we head back toward our
new
, sleazy motel.

“By the way, what happened to my cell phone? I haven’t seen it in a while.”

“Oh, I turned it off and put it in my gym bag. We can’t turn it on again, for fear of it being traced. We’ll get you a disposable one.”

I nod and sigh, understanding his point.

“You okay?” he asks.

“Yeah, why?”

“You seem sort of sad.”

I shrug. “I’m wishing I could get word to a few people about our unfortunate circumstances.”

“It’s really better if no one knows the truth. That way, their behaviors seem normal and they can honestly say they don’t know where you are.”

“You seem to know a thing or two about this stuff,” I say.

“Unfortunately I do. Remember? My mom and brother both think I’m dead.”

I wince slightly at the thought. I’m hoping I can avoid my dad thinking that. It was hard enough on him when my mom died, and we
knew
it was coming. My disappearance will be sudden. I hope he doesn’t assume the worst. Sebastian’s hand finds its way on top of mine again as we finish the drive to our destination. He squeezes it gently and a shockwave shoots up my arm and settles into my chest, warming it unexpectedly.

We reach the motel and after checking in, Sebastian opens the door to our room. We instantly look at each other.

“Shit. One bed,” he says. “I’ll talk to the manager and see if they’ve got anything else.” He picks up the phone in the room and explains the situation. His frown tells me all I need to know.

“Let me guess, there’s no more rooms available.”

“No,” he says apologetically.

“Well, we’ll have to make do then. At least it’s a full size. We can both squeeze in—”

“I’ll sleep on the floor,” he interrupts.

“Sebastian, I’m not going to ask you to sleep on the floor.”

“You’re not asking, I’m telling you. I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“But—”

“Julia, I’ve slept on the ground during training missions. The floor doesn’t scare me.”

“I know, but it’s fine. I don’t mind.”

He walks toward me and places his hands onto my shoulders. His intense gaze takes me back to our almost kiss. It suddenly feels warm in here.

“Thank you, but no.”

I don’t want to argue with him so I nod.

***

Because of our late breakfast, Sebastian and I opt to order pizza to represent lunch and dinner. There’s a knock at the door. Sebastian looks through the peephole before opening it.

“Hey, Seb. I thought you could use some supplies,” Peter says, then looks farther in the room and spots me. “Hi, Julia. It’s nice to see you again.” He walks inside and closes the door behind him.

“Hello again,” I say in reply. Then, he places a large bag on top of the bed.

“I got you guys some stuff. I was going to get you another change of clothes but figured your US Marshall buddy would help you out with that.”

“Hey thanks man. I really appreciate it,” Sebastian says, as he digs through the supplies.

“Anything I can do to help; you know that,” Peter says. “Is there anything I can bring you, Julia?”

I shake my head.

“No, thank you. I can’t imagine what else I might need.”

He shrugs. “If you think of anything…”

I smile and nod.

“So when is Mick going to relocate you?” Peter says to Sebastian.

“I’m guessing we’ll know something by tomorrow, you know, before Julia is discovered to be missing.” He looks at me, waiting for my reaction, no doubt. I try not to react. I think I succeed. But, then, a thought occurs to me. The boxes of letters from Sebastian’s mom are still at my apartment. What’ll happen to them?

“What’ll happen to the things inside my apartment?” I ask them both.

Peter shrugs.

“Most likely nothing. It depends on how long you’re missing,” he says.

“Oh,” I say. I wonder how long this is going to take.

“Hey,” Sebastian interrupts my thoughts. “The trial is set for a month from now. Even when your dad finds out you’re not where you’re supposed to be, he’s not going to jump the gun and empty out your place. Human emotions are somewhat predictable in that he’ll want to give you time to be found. He’ll assume you’re going to come back from wherever you are and resume your life as if you never left. It’s only a month or so,” he says again. “Is there something that needs your attention immediately? A pet, maybe?”

“Not a pet. I was just hoping to get back the box of letters your mom sent to me. I’d hate for anything to happen to them.”

Sebastian’s face pales, and the two men look at each other.

“I forgot about the letters,” he says to Peter as he shoots him a look that I’m guessing only Peter knows the meaning of.

“I’m on it,” Peter simply says and moves toward the door.

“You’re on what?” I ask, confused.

“Okay, be careful. If there’s any sign…of anything, get out quickly,” Sebastian tells Peter.

Peter nods. “Can I have your key, Julia? It’ll be easier and faster than picking the lock.”

I’m stunned.

“Er…yeah…I guess so.” I dig through my bag and pull out the key to my apartment. Still confused, I drop it in Peter’s hand.

“Thanks,” he says, then looks at Sebastian. “I’ll come back when I’m done.”

Sebastian nods.

“Call me when you leave, so I know you’re safe. If you don’t, I’ll know to come looking for you.”

What?

“If I don't come back, you most likely won’t find me.”

My mouth pops open. Are they kidding? Why wouldn’t he come back? And what’s with the sudden urgency of getting the letters back? I don’t know what’s going on, but I aim to find out.

“What do you mean
if
you don’t come back?” I say to Peter. “Why wouldn’t he come back? And if it’s
that
dangerous, why on earth is he going?” My questions are redirected toward Sebastian. “Tell me what’s going on. Please!” My voice gets louder and it’s mostly because I’m afraid and in the dark about all of this.

Sebastian comes to stand in front of me. He tucks a stray lock of hair behind my ear. The touch causes my heart to skip a beat.

“Julia, it’s better if you—”

“If you’re about to say it’s better if I don’t know, then I’m going to scream as loudly as I can, and I’ll guarantee you, everyone in this fleabag motel will hear me! Now, what the hell is going on? Why are those letters so important?” I’m breathing heavily from my outburst. It feels really good to shout though.

He looks at Peter and nods again. Peter exits the motel room. Then, Sebastian turns his attention back to me.

“Let’s sit down,” he says and gestures toward the bed. I do as I’m told, but only because I’m hoping all will be revealed if I do. With one leg folded under the other, we sit facing each other at the foot of the bed. “Listen, I still won’t say what it is that I saw—” I open my mouth to speak, but he hushes me. “Let me finish, please. However, I think you deserve to know
something
.” I relax a bit. Yeah. He’d better start talking. “There’s a corporation called GA Newton. They lease equipment to the US military—stuff like tanks and trucks. I’m not exactly sure what all their company produces, but their contracts with the US government are huge. They basically have the military in their back pocket.” My bewildered look begs for more information. “The CEO, Gerald Newton, is a pompous ass. He’s one of the richest men in the world but is known for his ruthlessness. There are a lot of rumors about things he’s done, illegal things, to get what he wants. There’ve been disappearances of executive employees, who might’ve known too much and whispers of illegal transactions turned into murders, but nothing he, or his company, has been accused of, has ever been brought to trial.”

“Until, now,” I whisper.

“Yes. Until, now. The authorities are very anxious to arrest this guy and bring his company down, but they’ve never had a solid case,” he pauses. “That’s where I come in. What I witnessed could bring everything crumbling down around him.”

“What did you see?”

Sebastian closes his eyes and shakes his head.

“I won't say, but I
can
tell you, it wasn’t Gerald who committed this particular crime. It was his son, Oren. Rumor has it, Oren is a loose cannon, which Gerald can't control. He’s sloppy, arrogant, and a thorn in his father’s side. He’s a typical, spoiled, rich kid who grew up wanting for nothing. Gerald pays his staff a lot of money to handle him, and it’s still nearly impossible. The FBI has been watching the two men for years, just hoping Oren would do something reckless. He finally did, and I’m their only witness to it. From what I’ve heard, the FBI is building a case against both men. They’re going to prove Oren perpetrated the crime, and that Gerald attempted to cover it up. If all goes according to plan, neither one will see the light of day again.”

Whoa. This is way more than I imagined it would be. I inhale, then exhale forcefully.

“Okay,” I say, my head spinning from this disclosure. “That explains why you’re in the Witness Protection Program, but what about the letters? Why is it so important to get them back?”

He smiles wistfully and takes my hand.

“
That
is more for personal reasons than safety reasons.” His fingers graze my temple as he pushes back a rogue piece of hair, tucking it safely behind my ear again. My breathing becomes labored at his touch, and I close my eyes in response.

“Oh?” I say softly, opening them again and looking deep into his eyes. I remember this feeling; I remember it well. Looking at his mouth, I see his tongue slide over his bottom lip. My breath hitches slightly. As my heart picks up speed, I suddenly feel too warm, and I’ve almost forgotten where we are and what we’re talking about. He inhales deeply, closes his eyes, and exhales through pursed lips, breaking the spell. He lets go of my hand and stands.

“Julia, when I came home from seeing you in Ohio, I was a mess. I thought—” He stops.

“You thought what?” I stare at him, willing him to answer me.

“I thought that things would go differently than they had.” He stops pacing and looks at me briefly, before beginning again. “I…you didn’t tell me you had a boyfriend, and it came as quite a shock. I wasn’t…prepared.”

Oh, please keep going.

“Okay.”

“So, I came home and wrote you a letter. It was the only thing I could think to do. We’d always been able to tell each other anything, but I couldn’t bring myself to be honest with you about this.”

“Honest with me about what?”

“It was just so…complicated. Cameron complicated things, or screwed them up, I don't know. I didn’t know what my future looked like. I had no idea where I’d go after graduation. I had no plan in place. And you, you were going to college in the fall. You had plans. You knew where you wanted to go in life. I didn’t even know if I’d be staying in Germany or flying back to the states. All I knew is that, no matter where I’d go, I’d always have you in my life, in whatever way possible. Cameron’s presence personified my fear that my assumption was wrong. If you loved him, if you and Cameron fell in love and stayed together, where did that leave me? No man wants an extra guy, just hanging around his relationship. He’d see right through our friendship and know why I really needed you in my life.”

He stops, raking a frustrated hand through his hair, and grabbing a fistful at the back of his head. With a loud thud, his fists slams down on top of the TV that sits on the dresser. I jump, startled at his emotional outburst. He then puts his head down onto his arm, which rests atop the TV. I can hear his labored breathing. Without a second thought, I stand and walk toward him. My hand curls around his tense bicep and the other lies on his shoulder. He flinches slightly at the contact. I then lay my cheek on his upper arm in an attempt to console him.

“I’m sorry,” say, apologizing for not initially informing him about Cameron. “I didn’t know you were coming. It was a tough time for me. My mother had just died, my father and sister were beside themselves with grief. Cameron was—”

“There. Cameron was there, when I wasn’t… Go ahead, say it. It’s true,” he says as he looks at me out of the corner of his eye. “I had no right to…”

“No right to what?” I say quietly.

He turns to face me. I think he’s going to continue, but he passes by, heading for the window. Moving the curtains, he looks out.