Page 49 of Hidden Dane
Emily’s eyes widened and instead of being angry, she realized she had a way to find Dane. She leapt toward her pocketbook and said, “The app!”
“What?” Sophie batted her eyelashes.
Emily dug out her phone and saw the blue dot headed toward Paris. Her heart soared. She’d apologize. Right away for being a stupid fool. Her lips still tingled from his kisses and she’d made a huge mistake when she’d listened to her doubts.
Stupid was clearly her middle name. She put her phone down and met her sister’s gaze as she said, “I need to go find Dane.”
Sophie walked over to her and took her wrist. “If he left because you broke up with him, he probably doesn’t want to see you right now.”
Her mouth went dry as her skin buzzed. This wasn’t good. She swallowed and only wanted to sayI’m sorryto him. “But?”
Her sister stayed in front of her with her arms crossed. “But what? You broke up.”
Emily’s eyes began to water. She sniffled to stop the tears but she shook her head and swallowed back her bitterness. “He thinks I broke up with him because of the jewelry. I don’t want him to get killed over a necklace or the badge and star that he wants to return to England. We can all just go home and forget.”
Sophie dropped her hands. “Before they left, Jack talked to Henry-”
“And?” Emily interrupted her sister.
Sophie tugged her earring and looked out the window toward the bright sky as she said, “Henry did say they were going after Alexandre and this time they are working with British and French authorities.”
Dane had put himself in danger. This wasn’t good. Her stomach was in knots. She ignored how her skin buzzed with regret. Last night she’d been tired and emotional. “I have to go.”
Sophie jumped in her way again and her gaze seemed to penetrate Emily’s soul. “Why? If you don’t love Dane, then come home with us.”
The words burned into her skin and lungs worse than the salt water yesterday. She choked out her best defense with one word. “Love?”
“Yeah.” Sophie shrugged and then continued to hammer home her point with every syllable. “I mean, why hurt him even more if you aren’t in love with him?”
The soles of Emily’s feet burned but the heat pushed higher and higher into her body as she shuffled. This wasn’t fair. Emily turned away and her hands curled into fists as she said, “It’s not just about him though. I can’t just give him my heart and think that everything will be okay.”
Sophie patted her on the back and her hands were cold to the touch, causing Emily to jolt as Sophie said, “My dad hardly said a word about our mom’s death. Our mom had horrible taste in men, but that doesn’t mean we have to follow in her footsteps.”
True. Dane had asked her to move in with him and give them a chance. Sophie was happy with her husband, though Sophie patted her stomach and Emily asked, “What does that mean, Soph?”
Sophie’s face turned red like a pepper as she blushed. “I love Michael, and he loves me too.”
Something else was happening to her sister, but right now Emily kept imagining Dane out there. She needed to tell him she’d been wrong. “How do you know he won’t leave you eventually?”
Sophie came closer and whispered like she shared a secret, “I trust in love, and besides, we’re having a baby now.”
Oh. Emily’s eyes widened as she glanced at her sister’s flat stomach. “You’re pregnant?”
Sophie bit her lip like she was still a teenager herself as she nodded and said quietly, “Yeah. Once Abigail finishes high school, I won’t have anyone left to boss around.”
This meant Emily would be an aunt. She could buy all the loud obnoxious presents. A giggle escaped her lips as she took her sister’s hand. “Soph, you never bossed me around.”
Her sister then mirrored their mother’s disappointed with life look. “I will if you chase after Dane and you don’t love him.”
Emily wished their mom was there in that moment. The ten years didn’t seem so long, but she swallowed and her shoulders slumped as she said, “Soph, I was tired and scared last night.”
Her sister patted her on the back. “Agreed. You hurt Dane.”
Ouch. She glanced up as she said, “I was trying to protect my heart.”
Her sister didn’t move but asked, “So you broke his?”
Emily’s heart plummeted and she now knew that being empty and wrong was worse than hungry and cold. “You think I did that?”
