Sink: The Lost World by Perrin Briar Read Free Book Online Page A

Cassie said. “Don’t you think I’d want you to see someone else?”
    “Actually, no,” Bryan said. “I didn’t.”
    “Then I’m pleased to disappoint you,” Cassie said. “You only live once. You should be out there, living it up.”
    “Thank you,” Bryan said with a chuckle. “So, we’re cool?”
    “We’re super cool,” Cassie said.
    Bryan got up and hugged Cassie.
    “Careful of my dress,” Cassie said.
    “You know, I’ve been stressing out about telling you this all day,” Bryan said.
    “Well, you shouldn’t have,” Cassie said.
    “I thought we could meet up some time soon,” Bryan said. “We’ll go to a restaurant, chat over a meal so you get to know each other a bit.”
    “Sounds great,” Cassie said.
    “How about tomorrow evening?” Bryan said.
    “Fine,” Cassie said. “Can I go now?”
    “You most certainly can,” Bryan said, scratching his head. “Uh, be back by ten.”
    “Will do,” Cassie said, heading out the door.
    Bryan smiled to himself and stretched his arms out wide in victory. He fell back onto the sofa.
    “Yes!” he said.
    He felt like an innocent man who had been vindicated with unexpected new evidence. He wondered how Zoe was getting on.

8
     
     
    Aaron’s mouth hung open, his eyes wide with shock one moment, and then slitted and downcast the next. He was processing the information, but none of it was making sense to him. Finally, he looked up at his mother.
    “Are you serious?” he said. “But you’re still married.”
    “Your father’s been gone for seven years,” Zoe said. “The authorities assured us he was swallowed by a sinkhole.”
    “His camp was,” Aaron said, “but he might still be around. He might have escaped.”
    “It was minus five outside and the sun was beginning to set,” Zoe said. “It could only have gotten colder. And there were no jet ski marks heading away from the camp.”
    “It might have snowed, covering his tracks,” Aaron said.
    “There were no weather reports about snow in the area that day,” Zoe said.
    “That doesn’t mean there weren’t any,” Aaron said. “Forecasters have been wrong before. And it snowed the day before. Maybe Dad left the camp then, and it snowed and covered his tracks and then he never went back.”
    “The investigators interviewed the surrounding villages and towns,” Zoe said. “No one had seen him, and there’s no chance of him not being recognized – your father had introduced himself to all the locals the moment he had arrived.”
    Aaron jutted out his jaw.
    “I know he’s still alive,” he said. “I just know it.”
    “Believing something is true doesn’t make it true,” Zoe said. “Believe me, I wish your father was still alive too, but after all this time don’t you think he would have come and found us by now? He was a strong, brave man, full of life and adventure. There’s nothing in this world that could have stopped him from coming back to us. Nothing.”
    Aaron looked at his hands in his lap.
    “How long have you been seeing this new guy?” he said.
    “Nine months,” Zoe said.
    “Nine months?” Aaron said. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
    “I didn’t want to bring anyone into your life who might disappear soon afterwards,” Zoe said.
    “There have been others?” Aaron said.
    Zoe hesitated.
    “No one serious,” she said. “Only a few dates.”
    Aaron shook his head. He couldn’t believe this was happening. His face contorted with anger.
    “I want you to know that your opinion is very important to me,” Zoe said, reaching across the table and squeezing Aaron’s hand.
    Aaron pulled his hand away.
    “If that were true, you would have told me sooner,” he said.
    He calmly got to his feet, tucked in his chair, and headed upstairs.

9
     
     
    “Hey,” Bryan said. “I was just thinking of you.”
    “Did you do it?” Zoe said.
    “You know, it’s customary to have a pleasantry or two when speaking on the phone,” Bryan said with