Page 120 of The Voice We Find
“What did you mean earlier when you said there was still some time to fix things with Sophie?”
Her eyes widen. “Because of her flight.”
At my confusion, she says, “August, she leaves in the morning—for her audition in LA.”
“Tomorrowmorning?” I balk, and then promptly check the time on my dad’s watch—mywatch. It’s just past ten.
Gabby shakes me. “Don’t be stupid again, August. Don’t think. Just go. Go now!”
And with those poetic words, I do just that.
In less than two minutes, I’m driving to Wilder Winery.
In the end, the choice will be Sophie’s to make, but I at least need to be honest about the options she’s choosing from.
By the time I arrive at the winery, the only lights around the property are security lights, which makes it feel like the set for a psychological thriller. That image provides little comfort as I cross the empty driveway and slip through the entrance gate.
I’m aware of every rustle of the wind and crunch underfoot as I tense in anticipation for someone to shout at me, but the property remains eerily quiet.
The mid-December chill is enough for me to zip my fleece to my chin.
The swoop in my chest drops even lower at the sight of Sophie’s pool house. It’s the kind of dark that says uninhabited, not asleep. If she has a flight in the morning, then where is she now? And what exactly is my plan if she is asleep? It’s not like I had time to write her a song to serenade her with.
Regardless of the darkened windows, I approach the pool house, hoping I’m wrong. I knock several times before trying the doorknob. It’s unlocked. I’m noticing a theme around here I don’t much care for. Why are there security lights if we aren’t locking doors?
I crack it open. “Sophie? Are you in here?”
A rustling sound greets my ears.
I push the door open wider. “Sophie?”
A furry black streak bolts over the top of my sneaker.Dang it. How did I forget about Phantom?
Of all the confessions I need to make to Sophie tonight, explaining how I lost her cat isn’t one I’m counting on. Scanning the darkness with my phone light, I watch the shameless cat slide its hefty self through the—no surprise here—open pool gate. At least he’s given me a way to contain him.
Careful not to spook the feline unnecessarily, I enter a backyard paradise suited for a celebrity mansion in the Hollywood Hills. The whole thing feels more like a status symbol than a refreshing escape. I know it well, seeing as Vanessa had a similar over-the-top setup at her place. Cascading waterfalls, cabanas, palm trees, a swim-up bar, and heated surround tile. I bend and touch the patterned tile under my feet to confirm.
At least it explains why Phantom is sprawled out on his belly without a care in the world.
“Hey, bud,” I say, approaching the chaise he lies near with caution as he glares at me through his good eye. I raise my hands. “I’m just gonna take a seat right here. No tricks. That goes for you, too, okay?” I recline in the chaise as if I’m completely unbothered by the frosty air or the fact that I’m talking to a one-eyed cat.
I slip out my phone and tap out approximately ten messages I don’t send before finally deciding on the one I do send.
Hey, you were incredible tonight. I was hoping we could talk before you leave tomorrow. I’m actually here, at the winery. Chillin’ with your cat, if you can believe that. If for some reason you’ve already left for LA, then I think Phantom’s gonna be pretty disappointed you didn’t take his favorite backpack along. But he certainly won’t be the only one here who’s disappointed.
I watch the screen for nearly five minutes, but the message stays on unread. So I do the next best thing and turn to Sophie’s geriatric cat. “You know, I never much cared for the talking-animal moviesas a kid, but I can definitely see how that particular brand of magic would come in handy right about now.” Phantom looks at me with such indifference I try not to take it personally. “I bet you know a lot more than you let on around here.”
I eye him curiously. “You don’t happen to know where Sophie is, do you, bud?”
Phantom licks his paw.
“Blink twice if you think Sophie has already left for the airport.”
But he doesn’t blink at all. In fact, he glares at me for so long without blinking, I’m afraid he might be having some sort of old cat stroke.
He stands, stretches for an eternity, and then hops up into my lap.Purring.
I lift my hands like I’m in a hold-up situation. The only cat I’ve ever held prior to this one turned out to be a double agent for Satan, so this is all brand-new. He kneads my thighs like he’s considering how much pressure it will take to put a claw through my femur before he finally plops down.On my lap.
