“This is bad, bad idea,” I said. “Claire, it’s time for us to go.”

Matt put up his hand, and Claire took it.

I turned to Ryan. “Don’t let her do this. It’s going to draw attention.”

“To what?” he asked, focused on my eyes.

I recoiled from his stare. “Nothing.”

“Go!” Pat said.

Matt’s arm stiffened against Claire’s. Before long, his face was as red as Ryan’s had been just moments before.

“Holy, God, you’re strong!” Matt grunted.

“Claire, please,” I said. “We have to go!”

“Okay,” she said, slamming his hand to the table, immediately bringing it back to the start position. “Officers…,” she nodded.

It was hard not to sprint to the car. Jared’s reaction was at the forefront of my mind. “Stupid! That was so….!” I wheeled around, stopping Claire in her tracks. “Stupid!”

Claire kissed my nose. “No, it was fun. Let’s go.”

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

The Truth in Sixty Seconds

Jared shut the curtains, allowing me to relax a bit. The morning sun hurt my eyes, and the ache in my head throbbed every time my heart beat. I turned another page of my textbook, trying to catch up to classmates that hadn’t missed the last two days.

I pressed my fingers against the skin between my eyebrows. “The computer guy didn’t know what he was talking about,” I said. “I said simple. This laptop is impossible.”

Jared rubbed my back. “Not impossible. You just have to adapt to change.”

I slammed my book shut. “That’s all I do, Jared: Adapt to change. The only thing that is constant is the fact that everything keeps changing.”

Jared smiled, kissing my shoulder. “I’ll leave you alone to finish your paper, and then we’re going to get out of the house for a while.”

“Thanks,” I grumbled, opening my book again.

My eyes passed over the words, but nothing sunk in. Wedding plans, Kit Anderson's children, Ryan being in danger, dead birds and the whereabouts of the book danced around in my mind. Each thought lingered only for a few seconds and then I flipped to the next one like the channels of late-night television. When I caught myself wandering from the topic of my paper, I would force my focus back to reality. Each time that happened, I grew more frustrated.

Two hours and six pages later, I pulled on my boots and met Jared outside. The crisp air surrounded me as I walked down the drive, and I buttoned my coat to ward off the cold.