Page 48 of Unsealing Her Fate

“Right now, I’m staying at the motel right up the street. It won’t be a problem for me to get here at 4:30. I’ll be looking for a more permanent place as soon as I get settled.”

Seemingly satisfied with my answer, she walks toward a back corner of the café. “I’ll try to keep my ears out for a place to rent. There aren’t a lot of options that come available around here.” She hands me a small stack of papers, and I’m relieved she hasn’t asked for my ID yet. “I just need you to fill this out, and you can start tomorrow.”

“Of course! That’s no problem. I can fill these out tonight and bring them back in the morning.”

She holds out her hand for me to shake, and I return the gesture. With a nod, she says, “See you in the morning!” and returns to the back to continue whatever she was doing when I first walked in.

I’m left to make my way up front, past Charlie, who’s finishing up with a customer as I walk by.

“Did I hear right? You’re starting tomorrow?” She turns with her hands on her hips, a genuine smile lighting up her face.

Why is everyone so friendly here?

I chuckle and nod. “Yep! Bright and early!”

“Oh, that’s awesome! We’re going to be besties. I can just tell. See you tomorrow, friend! I’ll have that coffee ready for you.”

Somehow, the smile I didn’t think could get any bigger grows even more to the point my cheeks ache. These people are so nice around here that they seem a little crazy, but I kind of love it.

Chapter 18

Yesterdayafternoon,Iwentback to the motel and filled out the paperwork. I put down my new name, Andi Sparks, the motel’s address, and asked for checks instead of direct deposit. If Irene asks for my ID, I’ll say I lost it and I’m working on getting a new one.

I can’t hand over an ID with Andrea Shaw on it, and I can’t open an account under that name either. It’s too much of a risk. Christopher can find me easily if he has someone keeping an eye out for that kind of thing.

And I have no doubt he’s doing exactly that.

Of course, getting a paper check poses its own issues. I’m unsure how to cash a check without a bank account. I’ve never had to do anything like that before. It’s a bridge I’ll have to cross sooner rather than later, so I need to figure that out quickly.

The position I’m in frustrates me.

At this time of day, it’s dark, freezing cold, and hardly anyone is out as I walk down the sidewalk towards the café. I woke up early because I had trouble sleeping with the jitters of starting the new job. My mind frequently wandered to Addy, too. I haven’t spoken to her, and I don’t know what things are like there for her.

Or what the hunt for me is like, or if it even exists.

Addy must be worried, but I’m terrified. Contacting her will be tricky, and it’ll have to be done in a way he can’t trace back to me.

Calling her at all is risky because I’m skeptical she could keep it from them. Dad and Andrew would either listen in or berate her for information. Contacting her would only give her something she has to hide from them, and I worry about adding pressure for her.

It’s hard to say what Christopher has told people. Knowing him, I’m on some beach somewhere, living it up. I’m sure it was a dramatic, impulsive decision on my part to get away for a while with all the “stress” of everything going on.

To be honest, I don’t give a damn what he’s told people. My primary concern is my sister. I can’t put her in a position where she must choose or that puts a target on her back.

Four days have passed, and on one hand, it feels like such a short time, but on the other, it feels like a lifetime ago. As I approach the café entrance, I promise myself I’ll find a way to contact her this week. I just have to be careful.

When I reach for the door, I quickly find it’s locked. I knock on the door, then stand back. I’m not about to fall into its trap again. I rub my hands together, bouncing up and down to get some warmth into my hands and legs. It isn’t long before I see someone walking up from the back.

Charlie smiles as she unlocks the door and pushes it open. “There you are, bestie! Come in. I know it’s cold. We’ll have to get you a key.” She walks toward the counter, and I follow. Gaining some feeling back in my face, I’m about to return her friendly greeting when she spins back toward me. “So, I took a wild guess on your coffee preference.”

Bestieis wide awake for 4:15 in the morning. I’m jealous of her energy level. At this time of day, with the miniscule amount of sleep I achieved, my energy level lies somewhere around “it’s far too early to even breathe, let alone be alive.”

Pushing a cup across the counter, Charlie says, “I made you a hot cappuccino with skim milk, a drizzle of caramel, and sugar free syrup.”

She has a devious smirk on her face and a twinkle in her eyes. I feel like this is a test. The wrong answer will determine which direction our friendship goes. I could lie and say she got it right, which would take us down one path, or we could go the other direction. I could be honest and tell her I’m desperate for both caffeineandsugar.

Lots of sugar.

In fact, just pour it straight into my mouth. I could use the sugar high.

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