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“So, where are we going?” Ben asked as they rolled out of the parking lot. Behind them, Jade could still hear the sound of the Christmas music blaring out the community hall windows.
“I don’t know if Dez is still at the church or not. Let me give Aisha a text.”
She opened her purse. “Uh-oh.”
“What’s the matter?”
“I left my phone at home.”
“Well, there’s the church up ahead. I don’t see any lights on. Do you?”
“No, they must be finished. Do you mind swinging by Aisha’s house?”
“Of course not.”
“It’s about two miles up the Glenn. You turn at the first stop after the clinic.”
“I can do that.”
Jade tried to think of something else to say. She’d already apologized for ending the night so early, but even though he’d been gracious about it, she still didn’t think she’d told Ben everything.
Like how she hoped he’d give her another chance soon.
Was this going to be life from now on? Was she always going to be this nervous, unable to spend ten or twenty minutes away from her daughter without breaking into a cold sweat and heart palpitations?
How did you just pick up after something like this and make life go back to normal?
Ben turned onto Aisha’s road, and Jade directed him toward her friend’s driveway. He pulled in, and Jade unbuckled her seatbelt. “I’ll be back in just a minute.”
“I’ll be here waiting.”
Something in his tone caught her off guard. She turned to look, fully expecting to see something different, but there was that same kind and open expression. The gentle smile he probably gave to everyone.
“Be right back,” she repeated and shut the car door behind her.
If it hadn’t been for her ridiculous heels and the fear that Ben might be watching her, she would have run. Even though she’d tried to stay composed, she’d been trembling on the ride over here, and now that she was so close to her daughter, she wanted nothing but to find Dez and crush her in a strong bear hug.
She knocked on Aisha’s door and stood shivering in the cold.
“Jade?”
“Yeah, I’m sorry I didn’t text. I left my phone at home. We decided to call it an early night. How’s Dez been?”
Jade had been so relieved at the thought of having her daughter back with her, it took a few seconds to recognize the confused expression on Aisha’s face. When it sunk in, her racing pulse stopped, crashed to a halt. “What’s wrong?”
Aisha shook her head. “Nothing. Did Ben drive you over?”
“Yeah. Why?”
Aisha twisted the bracelet she was wearing and kept her voice low. “I wanted to talk to you about something while you’re here. I can drive you home in a little bit if that’s okay with you.”
Jade studied her friend. “Sure. Did Dez get into trouble?”
Aisha winced. “No, nothing like that. Could you just let Ben know I’ll take you home in a bit?”
“Sure.” Jade paused before turning around, trying to guess what Aisha wanted to say.
Ben rolled down his window as she approached his side of the car.
“I’m going to hang out here for a while and grab a ride home later with Aisha,” she told him.
“Everything okay?”
She nodded, trying to believe it was true. “Yeah. We just haven’t had a chance to talk through everything yet. She’s a pretty good friend. Just wanted to have a little girl time.” At least that’s what Jade hoped was going on.
Ben nodded. “All right. Tell Dez good night for me.”
“I will. And thanks for everything. The dinner, the party, the perfume. I ...” She stopped herself. She couldn’t really say I had a great time. He’d know that wasn’t true. “I hope we get to do something like this again soon.”
Ben smiled. “Me, too.”
She figured he’d say something like that just to be polite. Tonight might have been the worst date he’d ever been on, but at least he wasn’t making this any harder on her. She paused in the driveway, wondering if there was anything more to say. “Well, goodnight,” she finally offered.
“Goodnight.”
She walked slowly back up to Aisha’s front door, listening to the sound of his tires rolling back down the driveway. Jade stepped up to the porch and let herself in. The first thing she saw was her friend lying on the floor.
The next thing she saw was Sapphire holding a knife up to her daughter’s throat.