A Love Lost to the Years novel · Chapter 16 of 24

Chapter 16: The Short Version

Sonya let herself in with the spare key at ten past seven.

She was still in her scrubs from the night shift, and her ponytail had half come down.

Kenneth was standing at the kitchen island in yesterday's shirt, making coffee.

Upstairs, a shower was running.

Sonya looked at him, at the second mug, and at the way he was standing.

"Oh, good," she said. "You two are fine. That makes this worse."

"Makes what worse?"

She put her phone down on the island with the screen up.

"Sheldon's people sent the paper something at five this morning, and it's on the site now."

"I read it in the break room. Then I had to go sit in a supply closet."

She pressed the play button.

The audio had a faint hiss, the kind a phone voicemail has.

Then Annabel's voice came out of it, younger and a little raw.

"It's me. Pick up. I'm marrying him on Saturday."

A very small click followed.

"I'm going to make him pay every day for the rest of his life."

The recording ended.

The coffee maker gave a gurgle and went quiet.

Kenneth did not move.

"Play it again," he said.

Sonya played it again.

He listened to the hiss, and to the click, and to the shape of her voice saying him.

"Saturday," he said. "We were married on a Saturday."

"I know."

"She said it that week. I remember that week. She took me to dinner and held my hand across the table."

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