Page 63 of Reveal

You’ll have more time for this—for her.

You definitely will.

I head to the door but look back one more time at her and shake my head.

She’s here, in my bed, and she didn’t run.

Maybe we’re getting somewhere.

And just maybe if I get used to saying those three words in my head enough, one day I’ll be able to say them out loud again when they really matter.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Vaughn

“What do you mean, I can’t see her today?”

I stare at the counselor manning the front desk. She pushes her glasses up her nose and glances back down at the computer screen in front of her. “It says right here that Lucy isn’t able to leave the premises this week.”

“I don’t—what in the—” I take a deep breath and look at her name tag. “Rachel. Thank you, but there’s been some kind of misunderstanding. I have a regularly scheduled time that I get with my niece. Every week. The same days. The same time. There has to be a misunderstanding.”

“I’m sorry, Ms. Sanders, but when I pull up her name here, it states there is a hold on her file at this time.”

Panic bubbles up, hysteria close behind it, and my thoughts struggle to connect. Did they rule that Brian gets custody? Is she being taken from me?

“Joey. Is Joey working today? He can vouch for me.”

“Joey is working today, but there is no one able to override the mandate.”

“Can I talk to him, please?” I ask, knowing full well I could text him myself, but I don’t want to get him in trouble.

“I’m sorry, but—”

“Rachel. Please. I just—Lucy gets frantic when her schedule changes. I can tell Joey what he needs to do to calm her.”

She sighs, and I can tell she’s completely uncomfortable, but thankfully she picks up the phone. “Can Joey come to the front for a moment? I have a question for him.”

“Thank you,” I tell her as I take a step away from the desk and stand close to the door that I typically walk through without any hassle.

Each second that passes has my thoughts spinning out of control and my anxiety flying through the roof.

When Joey enters the lobby, he tenses the minute he sees me. “Let’s go outside for a second,” he says in a lowered voice and places his hand on the small of my back to direct me out the door.

“What in the hell is going on?” I ask the minute we’re out of earshot from anyone.

“Vaughn.” I hate the sound of my own name right now.

“I’m freaking out here, Joey. Why are they not letting me see her? This is my normal time. It’s not like anything has changed.”

“Everything is fine,” he soothes in a voice that all but tells me to calm the hell down. “I’m not sure what’s going on. It’s the first I’ve heard of it.”

“Is this normal? Have you seen this happen before?”

His pause before he responds makes me even more nervous. “It happens occasionally. When there is a contentious custody battle or a counselor feels the child could be in danger.”

“What did Brian do to her?” Rage courses through me at even the hint of a thought.

“Nothing. Nothing happened to her.” He holds up his hands to get me to stop jumping to conclusions. “Sometimes orders come down for the child to remain on site.”