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1266 Words
A firm knock sounded at the door.
I stirred, blinking against the dim morning light. My back ached from falling asleep in the chair and for a brief moment, I forgot why I was here—why Norman Grey was still on my couch.
Another knock.
Norman shifted slightly. His voice was groggy when he spoke. “Are you expecting someone?”
I scoffed, rubbing my eyes. “Oh, sure. I always have unexpected guests knocking at my door at sunrise.”
He ignored my sarcastic reply and sat up slowly. His injuries were clearly still painful, but he hid them.
The knock came again.
Norman swung his legs off the couch, testing his footing before pushing himself up. I watched him carefully but he didn’t stumble.
Without hesitation, he made his way to the door and pulled it open.
Three men stood outside, dressed in dark clothing. They looked like they belonged in a high-end law firm or some corporate security team—well-dressed and sharp-eyed.
Norman’s expression shifted from groggy confusion to surprise. He blinked, clearly not expecting to see them.
The man in front, slightly older with short graying hair let out a breath of relief. “Mr. Grey.”
Norman’s eyes narrowed. “What the hell are you doing here?”
The older man studied him for a moment. “You’ve been missing for two days. When you didn’t answer your calls, your mother was worried.”
Norman sighed, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “Of course, she was.”
The younger man beside the leader spoke up. “She had us track your phone.”
Norman’s head snapped up. “Track?”
The older man nodded. “She had a tracking device placed in your phone without your knowledge.”
I saw Norman grit his teeth. His mother had clearly done things like this before judging by his reaction. He wasn’t even surprised, just annoyed.
“She’s unbelievable,” he muttered.
“Unbelievable or not, it worked,” the man said. “We followed the signal, but at some point, your phone must have died. That’s why it took longer to locate you.”
Norman sighed again, shaking his head. “I don’t need babysitting.”
The younger man didn’t react. “We should leave now. It’s not safe out here.”
Norman didn’t respond immediately. His gaze flickered over his shoulder, landing on me for a brief moment before turning back to them.
The older man finally seemed to notice me. His sharp eyes studied me for a second, then he glanced at Norman. “Who’s she?”
Norman didn’t hesitate. “No one. Just someone who helped me.”
I felt my stomach drop.
No one.
Just someone who helped.
I kept my face blank, even though his words stung more than I wanted to admit.
The older man didn’t question it further, nodding once before stepping aside. “Let’s go, sir.”
Norman turned slightly toward me, his expression unreadable. “You’ll hear from me soon.”
I hoped I didn’t.
I forced myself to nod. “Sure.”
And just like that, he walked out the door.
I stood still as I watched them leave. He really didn’t remember me.
And for now, I decided to let it stay that way.
*
I parked outside my grandmother’s house, shutting off the engine with a sigh. The past few days had been a lot and I still hadn’t fully processed everything that had happened. But right now, all I cared about was getting Ava and going home.
Before I could even knock, the door swung open, revealing my grandmother standing there with Ava in her arms.
“There’s my girl,” I said, smiling as I reached for her.
Ava squealed, stretching her little arms toward me. “Mama!”
I took her into my arms, pressing a kiss to her chubby cheek. She smelled like baby lotion and the faint scent of my grandmother’s lavender soap.
“She’s been an angel,” my grandmother said, stepping aside to let me in. “Ate all her food, took naps, she even helped me pick some tomatoes from the garden.”
I glanced at Ava, who was beaming with pride. “You helped Granny in the garden, huh?”
Ava nodded enthusiastically. “I picked big ones!” She spread her arms wide for emphasis.
I laughed. “That’s my big girl.”
I set Ava down and she immediately ran toward her basket of toys in the corner. My grandmother watched her for a moment before turning back to me, her eyes narrowing slightly.
“You look tired.”
I rubbed my forehead. “It’s been a long couple of days.”
She didn’t push but I could tell she wanted to. That’s one thing I loved about her. Instead, she reached for the teapot on the stove. “You have time for some tea?”
I hesitated but Ava was happily playing, and I hadn’t sat down to just breathe in a while. “Yeah, a few minutes.”
I followed her to the kitchen, where she poured two cups of chamomile tea and set one in front of me.
She watched me over the rim of her cup. “Anything you want to talk about?”
I traced my finger along the rim of my cup, debating. There was so much to say but where would I even start? That Norman Grey, the man who had been haunting my past in more ways than one, had shown up at my door half-dead? That I had spent the last two days playing nurse to someone who didn’t even remember me? That I wasn’t sure if I should be relieved or insulted that he had walked away without a second glance?
I forced a small smile. “Nothing interesting.”
She gave me a knowing look, the kind only grandmothers can master. “Alright. You know I’m always here when you’re ready.”
“I know,” I said softly.
After finishing my tea, I gathered Ava’s things and kissed my grandmother goodbye. Ava waved excitedly from her car seat as we pulled away.
“Bye-bye, Nana!”
My grandmother waved from the porch, a soft smile on her face.
On the drive home, Ava babbled about her time at Granny’s, telling me all about the tomatoes, the cookies and how she saw a butterfly “this big” outside.
By the time we got home, she had talked herself into exhaustion. I carried her out of the car, balancing her bag on one arm while locking the door.
As I stepped onto the porch, something caught my eye.
A white envelope sat in my mailbox.
Frowning, I pulled it out, adjusting Ava on my hip. There was no sender’s name, just a sleek company logo in the corner.
Grey & Carter Law Offices.
My stomach flipped.
I took Ava inside, setting her down so she could run to her toys while I placed the envelope on the kitchen table.
After putting away her things and making sure she was occupied, I finally sat down and opened the letter.
It was a formal request, typed neatly on crisp stationery.
Brianna Hale,
You are requested to appear at Grey & Carter Law Offices at your earliest convenience. The matter is of importance. Below is the address and contact information.
Sincerely,
Grey & Carter Law Offices.
I stared at the letter, my heart pounding.
Norman.
I already knew this was from him so why did o feel this way?
- Writer
