Reawakened Secrets by Mari Denae Read Free Book Online

like Jackson without everyone realizing what had happened. I walked to the pool on shaky legs. Everything whirled around me; the music still played in the background, the lights of the ambulance flashed and cast a red glow around the pool, and a thin line of blood seeped into the water. Then I saw Alice. Rooted to the spot, I looked at what I had done to my best friend.
    “Claire?”
    I looked up from Alice’s motionless body on the stretcher. I could see the anguish churning inside me mirrored in Jackson’s eyes.
    “No, please tell me this isn’t happening. How could we? I did this!”
    “Claire, don’t say that. It was an accident. Alice is going to be okay.”
    “She is not okay. Look at her!”
    “Baby,” Jackson said, moving toward me. I put my hands up to fend him off and started backing away.
    “Don’t touch me. You can’t. Just—just take care of Alice,” I cried, before running away as fast as I could.
    “Claire! Claire!”

    It was the beginning and the end for us. It was also the last time I heard from Jackson—until now.

M Y RETURN TO work was nerve-wracking. I kept expecting to see Jackson’s face again. Every set of footsteps, every deep voice had me convinced he was lurking around the corner, waiting to pounce. He was all I could think about. My first patient had to ask what time her surgery was scheduled for twice before I even realized she had asked me a question.
    “Dozer, what’s wrong?” Adam demanded once we were outside the patient’s room. “You seem tired or something. Did you get any sleep last night? You look like hell.”
    “Please stop. Your flattery will go to my head.”
    “Dozer,” he warned.
    “I’m fine. I just need another cup of coffee, and I’ll be fine.” I gave him what I hope passed as a reassuring smile. He stared deep into my eyes, digging for the truth. I was the first to look away.
    “Don’t bullshit me. Get a cup of coffee and then meet me in my office. There’s no way I’m going into surgery with you until I’m convinced your full attention is on the hospital instead of on your date last night.”
    My date? Well, that’s just great. It would be fucking hilarious if anything could be funny right now. The last thing I needed was to let this screw up my career like it was certain to screw up the rest of my life. Freaking Jackson Montgomery! I was really about to lose my shit, and it was all his fault. What if I had read more urgency in his intentions than were actually there? Maybe I was worrying for nothing, I thought, unable to convince myself.
    No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop wondering what was going to happen next. Regardless of the mistakes I’d made, no one deserved this agonizing lull before the storm. It left too much time to think and dissect all the worst possibilities.
    I stomped off in search of coffee—strong coffee. Adam was more or less a friend, not just my mentor. Still, it irritated me beyond belief he was playing the “boss” card now. But what if he was right? Maybe I did need to talk to someone. I pushed my sleeves up to my elbows and placed a lid on my plastic coffee cup. He had no idea what he was in for.

    I had just spent the last twenty minutes spilling my guts and I was greeted with nothing but radio silence.
    “Damn it, Adam. You asked for this. You could at least pretend like you were listening.”
    “I heard you, I just . . . wow, and so goes the days of our lives,” Adam finally said.
    “Could you be less of an insensitive jerk and visit Salem on your own time?”
    “Okay, okay. Besides surgery, insensitive is what I do best.” He cleared his throat. “Sorry, no more jokes. Are you okay?”
    “I told you, I’m fine.”
    “Yeah, right. You don’t look fine. What did Jackson say when you told him?” Leave it to Adam to cut through all the bullshit. He sighed and plopped into the chair behind his desk. He must have seen the terror on my face. “Ah, Dozer, you know you have to tell him. The