Dark Angel (Casteel 2)

.

He signed that note with a huge TLT.

This morning brought back sharply the horrible

day I'd bitten into an apple, then wandered into the room 392 where Sarah had left Pa a note saying she was leaving him and never coming back. In leaving Pa, she left all of us to fend for ourselves. Here I was again having to fend for myself in a house that no

longer wanted me.

The unbearable pain of my shattered love

turned into fury! That fury gave me racing legs. I went

to Jillian's rooms and banged on her door, shouting

her name, demanding to be let in, when it was only

nine o'clock and Jillian always slept until noon or

even later.

But Jillian was out of bed, exquisitely dressed,

as if ready to go out but for adding the jacket to her

dressy, pale suit. Her hair was pulled softly back from

her face, and I'd never seen it that way before. She

looked older, and at the same time, lovelier, or more

correctly, less like a haunted, life-sized doll. "Troy has gone away," I said accusingly,

glaring at Jillian. "What did you say to make him

decide to go?"

She didn't reply, only turned to pick up her suit

jacket and put it on, then, slowly she turned to stare at

me. What she saw on my face made her eyes widen in

alarm. Her blue, startled eyes flicked as if to find

refuge in Tony's arms. Again came that bewildering, brilliant happiness that lit up her eyes. "Troy's gone! Really gone?" she whispered, her joy so great I felt

sickened.

Unexpectedly Tony came into Jillian's rooms

without knocking. He ignored her and addressed me.

"How is Troy this morning? What did you tell him?" "Me? I told him nothing! It was your wife who

felt he had to know the truth, the ugly truth!" Jillian's radiance died. Her eyes went blank.

Whirling about, Tony's fire blue eyes lashed at his