Seth twists in his seat, watching as Jenny races out the door. Exhaling one long breath, he leans back and looks at Jace. Frustrated, he bangs his palms on the lip of the table.
He needs an answer. Now.
“What do you think?”
Jace laughs. “Oh, that’s Sal. No one else could polish off so many fries.” Affection knots his voice. It’s the one thing they always gave Sal shit for. A runner, she could always put them under the table when it came to food.
Making a decision, Seth shoves up from the table.
“I’m going after her.”
“Go.” Jace rips a hand through his hair. He’s decided. “Now.”
With those words, Seth bolts out of the diner and takes off running. His body moves with the instinct of finding something precious, with the knowledge that something so lost might not be found again. Seth scans the scenery in front of him. The patio, the overlook is empty. There’s no sign of Jenny anywhere. Dread curdles Seth’s stomach, twining with panic.
She’s gone. He had his chance and he lost her.
Breathing hard, he reaches the lookout point.
He swears, spying Jenny down below the railing. She’s climbing over the small fence separating the boardwalk from the beach. She hops over carefully, wobbles once, rights herself, then heads toward the water. Seth watches as she sheds her shoes, cardigan, wedding ring, messenger bag.
He frowns.
What the fuck?
Unease has Seth running again. This time for the beach.
He makes it to her right as she begins wading in the water.
“Hey!” Seth shouts to be heard over the crash of a wave. “Hold up!”
Jenny whirls around and freezes at the lip of the surf. She looks frightened for a moment, but seeing that it’s Seth, her eyes clear before darting nervously to the ocean. “What do you want?”
“I need to talk to you.”
“You shouldn’t be here, okay?” The wind’s picked up. She stands there shivering on the beach, the hem of her white dress whipping in the breeze, the waves lapping at her bare feet. “Look, I want to be alone. Please, just leave me alone.”
“I can’t.”
Her eyes narrow, and Seth realizes how it sounds. Creepy as goddamn hell, that’s how it sounds.
For a moment, Seth balks.
What the hell does he tell her?
That he thinks she’s a dead woman?
It’s crazy, but crazy it’ll have to be because she’s already moving away from him. “Goddamnit, Sal,” he swears, their old banter raging in his mind.
She pauses, turns. Her expression curious. “Sal? Who’s Sal?”
“Someone I used to know. Someone very special to me.” Then, uncaring how crazy he sounds, he blurts, “I think you’re her.”
Her eyes go wide, so wide and wild. She scoffs. “You’re out-of-your-mind nuts.”
Jenny turns away again, and Seth moves to follow.
“Don’t!”