Moon Phased: The Triple Claim novel Chapter 195

Chapter 102-2

Lost and confused, not wanting to dismiss Lexi’s offer just in case I needed to take her up on it, if things took a turn for the worst, I opened my eyes and stared straight at her, not allowing my eyes to roam, in fear that it would change what I was about to say. With hesitation in my voice, I said to her, “Thank you, Lexi. I will definitely consider your offer

The room at that moment went eerily silent, before the sound of a chair scooting on the dining room’s hardwood floors filled the surrounding air, making me look to see Cash get up from his seat, before he stormed out of the house. There was no doubt in my mind that my words had hit him the hardest, as he

was the most sensitive out of the brothers.

But as my eyes moved back into the dining room, and they landed on Chance, it was clear that Cash wasn’t the only one that my words heavily affected. Unlike Cash, though, Chance just sat there staring at me, as if he was in complete shock that I would even consider Lexi’s offer, especially after all the most recent moments we had shared together, but how could he of all people be upset with me, knowing everything that I had been through.

“I think I am going to see if Mrs. Ryder needs help in the kitchen.” Mazie said, getting up from the couch beside me, as Lexi got up abruptly from her seat too, as she says, “I’ll come with you.” While she took a quick glance between Chance and me.

As the two of them went to leave the room, Lexi stopped between the living room and dining room, turning and clearing her throat, as her eyes were fixed on Jacob, telling me that she and Mazie were trying to give the room to Chance and me.

“Jacob, now.” Lexi said, grabbing Jacob’s full attention, before he got quickly to his feet and scurried after them towards the kitchen, finally realizing what was going on.

Chance and I sat there, just staring at each other, as I watched Jacob disappear into the kitchen from the corner of my eye, leaving the two of us alone. Chance bit his bottom lip, before he moved to stand, looking away from me, as he made his way from the dining room to the living room, moving straight to the fireplace to stand as he remained silent, not saying a word. I knew that his bottom lip wasn’t the only thing he was biting at that moment, as he was trying to find the right words to say to me.

With his back turned towards me, he finally breaks the awkward silence between us, by ripping the band–aid right off, by saying, “Are you truly considering moving back to California?”

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Not wanting to lie to him, because we had both said at the start of our relationship that we were going to be honest with each other, I admitted to him, “I am considering it as a last resort, if it means that all of you will remain safe if I leave.”

Chance turned to look at me with his eyebrows furrowed, as he made his own confession to me, by saying, “You leaving is not going to stop what is happening here.” As if he knew what was going on, but he was keeping it from me, leading me to question what else he wasn’t telling me.

Tossing the pillow to the side that was in my lap that I had been using as a security blanket, I got to my feet, as my eyes narrowed at him, while I said to him, “Why do I get the feeling you know what is going on, and you aren’t telling me.”

Chance shakes his head at me, as he turns away, not wanting to look me in the eyes, making me believe that I was on to something.

Claim

“Chance, what aren’t you telling me? Did they find something last night, after I left?” I asked him, thinking That it had to be what he was talking about, because I couldn’t believe that he would be keeping

something so important from me.

His head dropped as he looked at the floor, still not wanting to face me, making me wonder what exactly came about last night when the authorities arrived at my grandmother’s house, as we hadn’t really had a chance to speak about it just yet. All that I knew was that there was an investigation going on, as the local Coroner was going to do a full autopsy of her body, to see her true cause of death, but I had to wonder if the local police had uncovered something while there.

Placing my hand softly on his back, I once again pleaded with him to tell me the truth, by saying this time, Chance, please. If the authorities found something last night, then please tell me.”

Chance finally turned around to look at me, and he instantly pulled me into his arms, making me think he was about to tell me something, but instead, he said to me, “They didn’t find anything. I just said that because we both know this isn’t the first time this has happened, and we know it’s not going to be the last time. If you leave, it’s not going to stop it from happening again.”

With my head lying against his chest, while he held me tightly to him, as if he was afraid I was going to run away, just like my mother had done to his father, I listened to his heartbeat steadily in his chest, and I knew that he was right. My mother had run from here all those years ago, and even with her gone from this earth, and she was no longer even a factor in any of this, it was still happening in her absence.

Those that seemed to be spared by the last time this happened were still paying the price, but this time with their children’s lives, leading me to believe that if I ran, I was only going to prolong the inevitable. I just wish I knew what the inevitable was, as it would make things so much easier, knowing what game I was playing, with my life and my friends‘ lives at stake.

Just as I was thinking that, the sound of the front door opening and then slamming filled the room, making me pull away from Chance’s chest just in the nick of time to see Evan walking into the living room, with a grim look on his face. He paused in his step as soon as he saw the two of us, and by the look on his face, it was clear that they had discovered something with my grandmother’s autopsy, hopefully giving us a lead on who was behind all of this.

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