Chapter 50

It changed everything.

The phone ringing in the background startled him out of his reverie. His back stiffened, and without even understanding why, he knew for certain it was Arliss calling. Oh, he hoped it wasArliss! Maybe he was calling to tell him how sorry he was, how much he loved him, and how nothing mattered more than that. He hurried to quiet the ringing, slamming the balcony door behind him and stubbing his toe on the corner of the coffee table.

He glanced down at the Caller ID and saw, thank God, that it was indeed Arliss. He snatched the phone out of its cradle. “Hey.”

“Hey. It’s me.”

“What’s going on? I hate this.” Sean sat down on the couch, mentally praying this call was all about the light at the end of the tunnel.

“I hate it too.”

Arliss fell quiet. Did the fact that he “hated it too” mean he had had second thoughts?

“We need to talk.”

“Okay.”