WOLF LOYALTY

CHAPTER TWO

WOLF’S LOYALTY

(Back from nowhere)

Unsurprisingly, I woke up with a pounding headache.

I groan, rolling over and nearly falling off the bed. I somehow manage to crawl to the shower, thanking every God I’ve ever heard of that it’s a Sunday.

If I had to drag myself into work today, it might just end for me.

Once I’m dressed, I head for the kitchen in search of water and a painkiller. Amanda isn’t up yet, but I managed to find what I needed rooting through the drawers and cupboard.

Feeling slightly revived, I went back to the guest room and spend a few minutes finding my phone.

There are two messages.

Rogers: Hey, give me a call when you wake up.

Rogers: I’m in town, it would be wonderful if we could meet up.

I vaguely remember messaging Rogers last night. Still, I started in surprise at his new messages.

Does he want to see me?

Amanda and I were both under the impression that he didn’t want to be friends anymore. Apparently, that’s wasn’t the case.

I found myself grinning as I responded.

Amelia: Sure I’d love to meet up. Where?

Rogers: How about IHOP

Amelia: just give me some hours to bring myself back to life. Eleven?

Rogers: Sure see you then.

Wow, I can’t believe I’m going to see him again.

I wonder what made him disappear for so long? I guess I would soon find out.

Amanda is dead to the world, so I spend the morning browsing Netflix. I keep glaring at the clock and end up going way too early.

I ended up at IHOP half an hour early. As I sip my coffee, I looked at the window watching for Rogers.

He arrived at eleven on dot.

I leap up, pulling him into a hug.“ Hey, it’s so good to see you .”

Rogers returns the hug gingerly, as though afraid of breaking me. “You too, Lia. I’ve missed you so much.

“Where have you been? What happened to you? You just vanished! I was really worried.”

When we were friends, Rogers had never had secrets. We used to joke that he’d make the world’s worst secret service agent. Now, he lean back, his face suddenly closed off.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“it’s…. it’s a long story.

“I have time .”

“I can’t go into it all. A lot has changed for me.

“Come on, Rogers. You’re just suddenly back from nowhere. You’re seriously not going to tell me why?

“I…. maybe another time .”

As much as my curiosity was telling me to push, Rogers obviously doesn’t want to talk about this.“For me too. Raymond, I never thought he would do that to me.”

“He’ll regret it .” Rogers’s glare sends a shiver through me. He looked dangerous. I never thought of him this way before, but I do now.

“ I don’t know if he will. Things weren’t great between us. He may just be glad it’s over.”

Rogers opens his mouth to say something but closes it again. “Maybe you’re right. It’s his loss.”

We sit in comfortable silence for a while. The waiter brings our pancakes, which are especially delicious to my hungover body.

“I have some news.”Rogers hesitates, seemingly nervous. “ I’ve decided to move back here.”

“Really?”That’s wonderful !” I don’t know why he was nervous; I’m ecstatic. Getting my friend back is just what I needed amidst of all misery.“Do you have somewhere to stay yet?

“Yes… The people I was staying with before hooked me up with a local branch. I’m going there.

“A local branch for what ?”

“It’s sort of… a community .”

“What kind of community ?”

“Um. Maybe I will tell you about it sometime. So where are you staying ?”

I allowed the change of subjects through I’m more than a little curious.

My parents use to say curiosity was my curse since it got me into trouble often enough, but it’s certainly been a good use as an investigative journalist.

Rogers was waiting for an answer, but I’m lost in thought.

It would be wrong to pursue him as a story, but that’s not what I’m thinking. I don’t want to publish whatever he is hiding. I just want to know what it was.

“I’m staying with Amanda for now .” My mind is already racing ahead.

Of course, I have to take some time off from work if I’m going to figure out Rogers’s secret, but I’m sure Roland will give me that.

My conscience niggled at me, though.

Would I be betraying Rogers’s trust? Or would I be helping him?

After all, I don’t want to know what he’s hiding for a nefarious reason. I just wanted to support him.

Surely, that’s not wrong?

I find my eyes roving over his body without my permission.

Is it just me, or has he been working out?

No, I’m not imagining it- he definitely has been working out. Rogers had always been cute, but not he was somehow managed to achieve a perfect balance between cute and hot.

His hair is slightly longer too. It’s always been this gorgeous, thick black-brown, and it looks more beautiful and alluring just brushing his shoulders. Rogers’s eyes somehow seems bluer than usual as I stared at him.

Looking at him reminds me of how long it has been since I had sex, let alone good sex. Raymond and I have hardly been in the mood recently what with all the problems between us.

“You ok?”

I feel myself blushing .“Yes, I’m fine. Just thinking of Raymond… I don’t know where things went wrong. It seems that everything I do is wrong. My working hours are too long, I’m not paid enough, I don’t do enough around the house, I’m too fussy, too emotional, and unreasonable….”

I break off when I saw Rogers’s face. It scares me; he looks like he’s ready to do something bloody, murder. He’s actually shaking.

“Rogers?”

A cracking noise has me staring at the table. Rogers’s hands are clenched on the edge, and he’s broken a piece clean off.

“What the…?”

“I’m sorry. I have to go. I’ll call you .”

“Wait, Rogers-”

It’s too late. He’s already gone, vanishing quicker than I would have believed possible. He’s out of the door before I can even get up.

I’m left staring at his half-finished pancakes.

What on earth was that?

My journalistic instinct kicks in half a second later. I toss some money down on the table and hurried out, picking up the pieces of the broken table on the way.

I scan the road both ways and I quickly make my way to a street-side stall selling fruit.

“Excuse me, I’m looking for my boyfriend. We just fought. Please, I have to make up with him -I said some really bad things.”

The man selling the fruit gave me a sympathetic smile .“The young made who just exit the IHOP in such a hurry? Yes, I saw him running down the street- very fast he was going, too. He went this way.”

Great. Now what?

If he had gotten into the taxi, or driven somewhere, I could work on developing a source at a taxi company or a car GPS agency, but if he’s walking or running, I’ll be stuck asking people on the street.

I did just that for almost an hour, but it quickly became apparent that it is a losing battle. Rogers was moving quickly, and he’s gaining ground in me every moment I stand still questioning someone.

No, there better way to do this.

I started walking back to my car, my head full of the mystery of Rogers. It’s easy to think about his strange strength and disappearance than about my headache over Raymond, or my guilty thought about how I wouldn’t protest at all should Rogers decide to pin me up against the wall and kiss me.

When I arrived at Amanda’s place there were police officers at the door.

My heart seems to freeze in my chest.

Has Raymond been here?

I’d never believed he could get violent with Amanda, possibly asking where I am, but then, I’d never believed he’d cheated on me either.

I rushed up to the door .“Amanda? Are you okay ?”

One of the police officers stops me. “Are you Amelia Amber?”

“Yes.. where’s Amanda? Is she okay”

She’s fine we just spoke to her. Actually, it’s you we are looking for .”

That brings me up short. What?”

“Where were you approximately one hour ago ?”

“Why”

“Answer the question, please ma’am .”

“I was at IHOP, then I spent some time working on the street. You can ask anyone there, I talked to several people. Why?”

“Your fiance-”

“Ex fiancee .”

“Someone has ransacked his house and left a threatening message on his well. We believe it is written in blood .”

I can feel myself going white .“What?”

“ We’ll check out our proof. In the meantime, is there anyone else, you know of who might want to hurt Raymond ?”

I clamp my mouth shut. My first thought is Amanda, but then I remembered how angry Rogers was when he left.

Could he possibly….?

I have to protect him, and Amanda. I won’t let them go down for standing up for me.

“No, officer. I can’t think of anyone .”

His eyes bore into mine. I don’t know what the legal penalty for lying to the police is, but I’m sure it’s good.

What if he doesn’t believe me?

T. B C

~~~~~Tife writes~~~~~~