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‘Hello, Morgan, Charlotte here’

Charlotte He slowly lifted his head, eyes staring out across his office but seeing nothing

‘I think we should talkWe need to talk I've wanted to call you soup before I ever leave a e ‘

She drew a s Morgan's gut hurt He held his breath waiting for her to finish

‘I', I mean

I've always been sorry, but maybe it's for the best I don't know Call me Please Soon as you can’ She rattled off her nu up

Morgan scrawled the nue and played the next

The next call was from Winnie's parents and they were rather frantic about their daughter's whereabouts as they hadn't heard fro that didn't happen

Mrs Graha, said it was a vacation house they'd rented for a couple weeks in the mountains and asked him to make sure Winnie phoned as soon as possible

Morgan wrote this one down, too, but his thoughts were chaotic and it wasn't until allup the phone and really studied Charlotte's number

For a long moment he didn't move She'd called him She wanted to see him

He looked away, stared at the shadoall, but he could still hear her voice, ilacier beautiful Impatient, imperious Charlotte

He'd loved her so much He'd loved her too much

He'd waited years to speak to her, years to hear from her, but now that she'd finally called, and now that he had her nu to say to her

Abruptly Morgan turned off the lamp on his desk As ato say to her

Morgan did not sleep well that night It had less to do with Charlotte's call than knowing Winnie was in his house, sleeping just down the hall

He hated not sleeping with her He hated not being with her But he also hated not knohat she wanted from him

He was still wide awake two hours later when his bedroom door creaked open and he heard a timid voice say, "Who broke into my apartment? What did that person want?"

Morgan propped himself up "I don't know"

She stood there in the shadows, hanging on to the doorknob, her long hair half hiding her face "Mr Foley said that it ht have been someone anted to know about us Someone curious about you"

Morgan silently cursed taciturn Mr Foley for finally speaking and definitely saying too much "Maybe"

He heard her sniff "You know, someone should tell the media that you're really not worth the trouble, and definitely not worth all this fuss" Her voice grew thinner, higher She was close to breaking down "People should know that you're not all that interesting, that you prefer nuers to love and affection, and that you proposed to me because I'm dependable and convenient'

He smiled despite himself and shook his head She was such a handful How could he have ever thought her easy, sensible, convenient?

"Soreed, happy to pacify her "However, it's three in theand not even the most tenacious journalist will be at his desk for another hour or two So let's go back to bed and get some sleep"

But she didn't move "I can't sleep I'm scared"

He slid out of bed and walked across the rooently but fir to be scared about, at least not here, in this house"

Then he scooped her into his arms, carried her back to his bed, and set her down in the ether," he added, throwing hi the pillow beneath his cheek "So close your eyes Get some sleep "

Easy for hi stiff anda et the et the police's indifference She couldn't forget that Morgan had shown up like a knight on a white stallion

Suddenly Morgan reached out and scooped her up, bringing her closer against hi so much," he whispered, his voice raspy in the dark "Turn your brain off"

"I can't"

"You can I order you to turn your brain off"

She grian I don't work for you, remember?"