Bright New Murder by Traci Tyne Hilton Read Free Book Online Page B

mouthed along with the song.
    “Are you ignoring me now?” Jane gritted her teeth. He was…a pain.
    “I think I used up my quota of friend time for the week.”
    “Fine.” Jane didn’t need him to get the answers to her questions, but she did have to drive him back to her apartment since that’s where his car was.
    They rode in silence, Jane brainstorming new questions, but in her head, and Jake pretending to care about the top ten Christian songs of the week.
    Back at her apartment, she walked him to his car. “Thanks, Jake. You were right about coming with me.”
    Jake looked past her, toward her apartment window. “And you’re right about Gemma.” He popped open his car door. “But you are going to miss me.”
    He kissed the top of her head, climbed into his car, and drove away.
    She had hardly had time to miss her ex-almost-fiancé, so she doubted she’d be overwhelmed with grief because Jake cut his impromptu visits down to once a week.

7
    “How did it go?” Gemma handed Jane a cup of tea as soon as she stepped into the apartment.
    “Pretty well. I think I have some idea of where to start, at least.” Jane settled into the corner of the sofa. She set her teacup on the coffee table and rested a notebook on her knee.
    “Isaac called while you were out.”
    Jane closed her eyes and counted to ten.
    “I’m worried about you, Jane. You don’t seem to be grieving this loss at all, even though he was a big part of your life.”
    Jane rocked her head back and forth, trying to loosen her tense shoulders. “I should be crying more. I’m sure I should, but it’s not happening.”
    “That’s what I was thinking. When Nick and I broke up, I cried for weeks.”
    “But you found out he cheated on you, right? I mean, he had to marry the girl. I think I would cry for weeks if I had found out that Isaac had done that.” Jane exchanged her notepad for her teacup. “But I dumped Isaac. Maybe girls don’t cry when they end the relationship.”
    “I don’t know…”
    “Maybe I didn’t really love him.” Jane sipped her tea. “I know we dated a long time by some standards, but he’s been gone for almost six months straight. In Robin Hood , Lady Cluck said, ‘Absence makes the heart grow fonder,’ but it didn’t.”
    “You’re quoting a cartoon chicken?”
    Jane shrugged. “Why not, if she’s right? I was really infatuated with Isaac…but I’m afraid I didn’t really love him.”
    “But wasn’t it love at first sight?” Gemma sat down at Jane’s feet.
    Jane pictured Isaac the first day she met him at school. Tall, adorable, smart. “Infatuation at first sight, anyway.”
    “But you were star-crossed, doesn’t that count for anything?”
    “We were Bible-school-administration-crossed. It’s not exactly the same thing.” All of a sudden, Jane’s heart hurt. It was like a sharp pang, like someone squeezed it tight. Isaac was so smart, and funny, and handsome, and nice. Her eyes stung with tears. She rested her chin on her knees and tried not to cry.
    “Tell me again why you dumped him, because I just don’t get it.”
    Jane wiped her eyes. She pictured them on the hood of his car watching the city of Portland sparkle in the distance. “He…he didn’t respect me.”
    “Are you sure? Because I thought he really, really loved you.”
    “No. I don’t think he did. He didn’t—” A sob broke out despite her best effort to stifle it. “He didn’t…” She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.” She laid her head on her folded arms and cried. The tears were hot and salty and felt as good rolling down her face as the pain in her heart felt awful.
    “Don’t be sorry. I think you are finally starting to deal with your loss.”
    She wiped her eyes. “He treated me like I was an accessory. A thing to make his life complete instead of a person who had her own call from God.”
    “The missionary thing?”
    “Umm hmm.” Jane dabbed her nose with a paper napkin.
    “Please don’t be