"Stop the car."
The command cut through the silence of the car, startling Gregory, who was focused on driving. He slammed on the brakes.
"Mr. Fawkes, is something wrong?" Gregory asked.
Soren glanced out the window. The mountain road was treacherous, and they had only just begun their descent from the summit.
He pushed the door open, ready to get out. Gregory scrambled, "Mr. Fawkes, did you forget something? I can go back and get it for you."
"Just wait here," Soren said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
He didn’t explain that, in a half-conscious state just moments before, he had dreamed of Evangeline again. This time, he’d seen her body being torn apart by wild animals.
The dream had been too real. So real that he could still feel his heart pounding violently against his ribs.
Once Soren made a decision, no one could sway him. Noticing the dark mood that had settled over his boss, Gregory knew better than to press the issue. Instead, he grabbed an umbrella from the car and hurried to hold it over Soren’s head, shielding him from the fine, thread-like rain.
Soren took the umbrella. As his fingers closed around the velvet handle, his expression faltered for a second.
This was the umbrella Evangeline had left in his car.
Serenity City, nestled between mountains and sea, was known for its rain, but in his youth, he’d never cared. That changed after he was caught in a downpour and ended up sick for two days. After he recovered, Evangeline had quietly placed this umbrella in his car.
He hadn’t wanted to accept it, so he’d casually complained about the cheap plastic feel of the handle. The next time he saw it, a soft, hand-stitched velvet grip had been added.
Work had gotten busy, and he couldn’t be bothered to argue over an umbrella, so he’d let it be.
Now, holding it, his gaze fell on the neat, even stitching where the velvet was secured. A stiffness ran through him.


VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABEL
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Save Her Lose Us (Evangeline and Soren)