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Yet an underlying worry is working its way to the surface, bringing waves of nausea with it
Sam came to Miami
What if he found Cain? Would he have hurt hione? Cain’s death wouldn’tover a dead rab my purse "Can you tell Berta I’ll be about fifteen et his answer
Now that Sa me But I don’t kno Cain feels about me I asked Dan not to tell hi
What if Cain hates me?
What if he wants me held accountable forthis is risky Still, I need to know that he’s alive
The closest pay phone is four blocks down the street and I run the entire way, cursinga prepaid cell phone I don’t kno pay-phone tracing works, but I’ it requires more than two seconds of air tie and three attee to accurately punch in Cain’s cell nu
I holdfeeling dipshis voice mail will pick up by the fifth
And then suddenly, "Hello?"
His deep voice steals the air fros
Cain is safe
Sam didn’t find him
I reach for the telephone hook to end the call but my hand freezes I can’t will myself to pull it To disconnect Cain from my life
For just a few seconds, with this weak link, I feel like Cain is still a part of it I can hear hiainst that hint of evening stubble that I’ve felt so ain, this time a touch of uncertainty in his voice
My lips part just slightly as if to answer, but I can’t I can’t even forle word And I still can’t breathe All I can do is listen to hiin to roll down my cheeks
Another second passes
"Charlie, is that you?"
My fist slaed sob escapes s
"New custo ri cheerful I should just aih I’m far from that as well
There’s a reason people say clean breaks are for the best I had a clean break It hurt like hell And then I had to go and call Cain, to listen to his voice, to hear hie my existence It was as if someone took a dull saw and hacked into ed and fresh It’s the kind of pain that makes you pass out
The kind that feels irreparable
That was three days ago Since then, I’ve grabbed , taken the city bus down to the Greyhound terht a ticket to Mia as the bus pulled away, telling er a threat, it doesn’tto do with h trouble into his life That the memory of those wonderful weeks with Cain will need to sos can never go back to the way they were