Fall into Me (Heart of Stone #2)(37)
Author: K.M. Scott

"Yes, Mr. Stone."

"Tell Rogers to come here. I need to talk to him."

As Jensen left, I dialed Daryl’s number, hoping to catch him before he took off for Pennsylvania. I’d thought about that storage unit all night and didn’t want him rummaging around in it, an unfeeling stranger rifling through Nina’s mother’s things.

"Tristan? How are you this morning?"

"Plans have changed. I want you to keep an eye on Cal instead of heading out to Plymouth Meeting. Text me address of the storage facility."

"You sure you want to do that? You usually have me do the dirty work."

At that moment, Rogers appeared in my bedroom doorway. "Daryl, you stay in the city. And call me if you see anything I might want to know about."

"You got it. Enjoy your day trip."

I put away my phone and turned my attention to Rogers. "Jensen will have a package for Nina. Make sure she gets it as soon as she gets up. I want you to give her this note also."

"Will you be going out of town, Tristan?"

Looking up from my letter, I shot Rogers a glare. "Taking to eavesdropping now?"

"Not in the least. I just happened to hear part of your conversation, sir."

I wasn’t in the mood for his attitude this morning, so I ignored his use of sir again and read over my letter to Nina.

Dear Nina,

You looked so cute lying there all curled up in bed that I didn’t have the heart to wake you up, but I had to leave on an emergency business trip. I hope you like your new phone. Text me when you get this letter, and I’ll call you this afternoon.

Think about me. I’ll be thinking about you. Miss you already.

                                                             Love,

                                                             Tristan

Folding the note in half, I slipped it into an envelope and handed it to Rogers. "Make sure she gets this."

"Are there any other instructions?"

I put on my suit coat and adjusted my tie in the mirror. "I don’t know if I’ll be home in time for dinner, so make sure Nina gets whatever she wants. I expect to hear that she was happy. Are we clear?"

Rogers’ expression showed his hurt at my comment. "I would never do anything to foster Nina’s unhappiness, Tristan."

I didn’t entirely believe that, but I wasn’t going to stand there and debate the issue with him. "Just make sure, Rogers. I’ll call you to let you know if I’ll be home for dinner."

As I walked past him to leave, he asked, "Is she allowed to leave the grounds?"

Sighing in frustration, I stopped and turned toward him to see that same hurt expression still on his face. "She’s not a prisoner here, Rogers. I’ve had enough of this. I’m doing my best to make things right. Just give me a break."

I didn’t give him a chance to respond. I didn’t care what he thought. I didn’t care what anyone thought but Nina. She was the only one I owed any explanation to.

Daryl had texted me the address of the storage place right before I left, and less than two hours later I pulled up in front of U-Store on Chemical Road in Plymouth Meeting. The clerk behind the counter was barely out of his teens and still working through an acne phase, so he was easy to get by. He also didn’t seem to have any knowledge of the law whatsoever, so all I had to do was tell him I was Joseph Edwards’ son and I’d lost my key to my mother’s unit and he was happy to oblige.

We walked past a dozen green garage doors until we reached the last one in Row 8. The clerk unlocked the door and turned to me with a smile. "If you need anything else, Mr. Edwards, just let me know."

I looked in and saw the 10 x 10 unit wasn’t packed to the ceiling, thankfully. Stacks of boxes four high lined the three walls, but it was organized so someone could walk easily through the middle around a few chests and belongings that weren’t in boxes.

Now that I was standing in the middle of Nina’s mother’s things, I suddenly realized I didn’t even know her name. All I knew was that she was the woman who’d given birth to the one person I loved in the world and she’d died when Nina was young. Her life was now only memories and her things stored in a dark storage unit.

A feeling of guilt came over me as I looked at her entire life around me. I was an intruder, a stranger about to search her things for something that had never had anything to do with her.  It was like I was ransacking a grave for my own benefit.

I had to remind myself that I wasn’t there just for me. If I didn’t find the evidence of my father’s actions that Karl and his friends were sure Joseph Edwards had hidden somewhere, they’d never leave Nina and me alone.

The first box I chose solved the mystery of what Nina’s mother’s name was. Written on the box were the words Diana’s Clothes. That one had nothing but clothes in it, so I moved to a second box filled with pictures. I stood there as the photographs I looked at told the story of her life. Her in a 1960s bikini at the beach. When she was pregnant with Nina’s sister and sitting at a picnic table on a beautiful sunny day. Diana at an art show standing next to a sculpture with a blue ribbon on it. Nina’s parents kissing under the mistletoe at a Christmas party.

I stared for a long time at the picture of Joseph and Diana Edwards, wondering how they’d met and if they were happy. They looked like two people in love. Her hair was long, much longer than Nina’s, and darker brown. She was beautiful like her daughter, and Joseph Edwards was a good looking man. A good six inches taller than his wife, he had dirty blond hair. I noticed these things randomly as my eyes remained riveted to that picture.

My phone vibrated in my coat, and I pulled it out to see a text from Nina. I love my new phone! I’ll finally be able to call out here. Wish you were here to thank. ? Love you. Come back soon.

Her text made me smile, but as I looked around at where I was, I wondered if she’d still love me if she knew what I was doing. I couldn’t think about that, though. If this was what I had to do to keep her safe so we could have a life together like those two people in the picture had, then I’d do it.

I texted back Miss you. Wish I was there with you right now. I’ll try to get back tonight. I love you and put my phone away to get back to work, wanting more than ever to get back to her.