myself out and it’s freezing out here. Can you please buzz me
in?”
Whoever was on the other end was obviously more
concerned about getting back to his warm bed than he was
about security because he buzzed her in right away. She threw
herself through the door, her satchel strapped across her chest,
bouncing at her hip. She’d tucked the papers and that box
inside of it. She headed straight for Coralyn’s door and
knocked hard. She had no intention of leaving, even if Coralyn
didn’t answer. Even if she wasn’t in there.
Was she losing her mind? Yes, she probably was, because
this was a totally unhinged thing to do. It was seven in the
morning, which wasn’t so very early. Not like three or four
would have been. People were up and about. She could hear
them moving around throughout the building. She could even
smell eggs and coffee.
She kept knocking, redoubling her efforts, until finally the
door cracked open, and Coralyn stared at her with red-rimmed
eyes. She looked so much like she had the night that Giana
picked her up at the hospital. Sad. She’d been crying. She
looked broken down and so tired. Giana didn’t like any of that.
She wanted those summer eyes back, cloudless and blue, not
stormy and swollen with rain. She was still in her pajamas, an
old gray t-shirt and fuzzy orange bottoms with cat faces on
them.
“What are you doing here?” Coralyn asked. She swiped at
her eyes. “I didn’t want you to come here.”
“I know. You left something at my house.”
“Giana, I told you I can’t keep that necklace. It’s worth over
a hundred thousand dollars. I probably couldn’t even afford