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Nerves of Steel
Tay cautiously made her way up the stairs. She saw Jack standing in stunned silence in the doorway to Cate's room. His face looked as if the blood had drained completely from it, and his knuckles were white from gripping the doorframe. "Are you ok? You saw him, didn't you?" She was equal parts terrified and excited as she pelted him with questions. Jack remained silent, though he nodded in response. Jack was certain there must be a logical explanation, though reasoning had briefly evaded him. Tay slowly moved toward him, and gently placed a hand on his tense arm.He envoluntarily jolted as she touched him. " I saw something. It wasn't anything more than a shadow. I think I was seeing something because I expected to, honestly." Tay quirked a brow at him. " Was it a tall man with a hat?" Jack's jaw clenched. " Let's go back downstairs. You look like you need a drink."
Tay gently pulled his arm, and coaxed him back down the hall. They made their way
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Jack mustered up a smirk in Tay's direction. Her soft hand was warm from holding her coffee mug. Tay's hand lingered on his for a moment longer and she found herself getting lost in the depths of his emerald eyes. " Thanks" Jack finally responded. " I feel guilty that I hadn't visited or even called to check on her. The only flimsy excuse that I have for it is being 'busy'. What kind of lousy brother goes that long without checking on his sister?" His brows furrowed as he chided himself. Tay was all too familiar with playing the blame game. "None of this is your fault, Jack. Cate loved you, and spoke often of you. She wasn't upset with you at all. Beating yourself up won't fix anything."Jack cleared his throat. "So what happened the day she went missing?" Before Tay could respond, a door slammed upstairs. Footsteps stomped down the hallway and stopped just at the top of the stairs. "Who's that?" Jack inquired, quirking a brow. "That's...uh...Mr. Bellum.." Tay stammere
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