Falling In Read Online Free Page B

enough to dial back the last incoming call: Kim.
    “Hello?”
    She
sounded groggy.
    “Hey. 
Sorry to call so late, but I wanted to talk to you.”
    “Okay,”
she said with a groan.  Audrey could hear her sheets rustle on the other end as
she sat up in bed and clicked on a lamp.  “What’s wrong?”
    “I think
that I might need to get out of town for a little while.”
    Kim
gasped on the other end and asked, “Are you in trouble or something?”
    “No,”
Audrey said with a little laugh.  “Not like that, anyway.  Things here have
been a little rough and I think that the Cedar Bay air could help me clear my
thoughts.”
    “Cedar
Key.”
    “What?”
    “The
town I live in.  It’s called Cedar Key, not Bay.  But that’s okay; you’re going
to love it.”
    “Oh,”
Audrey responded, sounding a little embarrassed.  “Sorry.”
    “Don’t
even worry about it.  Once you’re here for a while, the residents will make
sure that you have it right.”  She took a deep breath and exhaled into the
phone.  “They’re a unique bunch.”
    “So when
do you want me to come?”
    “As soon
as you can.  I’ll even pay you back for the cost of the ticket.  I’m supposed
to head out tomorrow night and would like to at least give you a tour of the
house before I go.”
    Audrey
eyed the clock over the stove, though it really didn’t matter what time it
was.  With two massive airports less than an hour away, there was always a
flight heading to anywhere that she could possibly want to go.
    “Okay,”
she answered and squeezed her eyes shut.  “I’ll call you when I get to the
airport and let you know when I’ll be there.  Sorry for calling you so late.
    “Sounds
good,” she said and yawned loudly.  “And maybe you can finally tell me what’s
on your mind.  I know something’s up.”
    “Maybe,”
Audrey echoed.  “I’ll talk to you soon.”
    “See
ya.”
    She
shoved the phone back into her pocket and finally peeled herself off of the
tile floor.  Within a half an hour she packed up one of her suitcases--one that
she used on their summer vacation to Italy the year before--and started toward
the door.  Back in the kitchen on her way to the garage, her determined steps
ground to a halt.
    Audrey
let go of the retractable handle on her bag and cradled her left hand in the
right one.  She looked down and eyed her modest wedding ring.  Even though she
knew that it was just a hunk of metal and stone, looking at it made her want to
break down and cry again.  There were so many memories tied up in that small
token of her husband’s now dead affection that it quickly started to feel like
more of a burden than anything else.
    She
closed her eyes and wrenched the shining band off.  It tinkered softly against
the counter top after rolling out of Audrey’s palm and came to rest amidst the
shattered glass, splintered wood and blood.
    Maybe
this isn’t such a bad idea.

 
    Chapter
3
     
    As the
nearly-empty plane dipped down for its final descent during the early morning
hours, Audrey tightly gripped the right sleeve of her sweater to cover the mess
of red wounds.  Even though she knew that the weather was going to be hot, the
last thing that she wanted was questions about what happened.  Not yet, anyway.
    She
stared out of the tiny window from her seat at the front of the plane.  Down
below, the rugged Florida coastline whipped by, inching ever closer as the
aircraft approached its final destination: Gainesville.  Within minutes, the
small tires screeched and the cabin bounced.  It was a sure sign that they were
finally safe on the ground.
    It was a
bittersweet feeling, but one that was heavy with relief.  Even if she was going
to go back and try to work things out with Max, Audrey needed to be far, far
away from him for a while.  After what he did, however, she thought that the
chances of that were unbelievably slim.
    Without
much of a wait, Audrey and the handful of other passengers filed out