My heart skipped a beat!, Just moments ago, Jacqueline mentioned how Conrad sounded like he was making a last will, and now Haley Perez is on about him setting his affairs in order, clearly indicating Conrad's behavior was off the charts., A dream I had, coupled with Conrad's haunting question about what if he were to die, flashed before my eyes. Even though I've moved past loving or hating the man, the thought of facing life and death, even with a stranger, isn't something I could just ignore., Haley was a mess, a picture of utter despair, but she was crying to the wrong person. I had no pity to offer, let alone comfort her., But, knowing Conrad as I did, I couldn't help but say,

"Conrad isn't the type to give up.

", If someone crumbles at the first sign of trouble, they clearly lack backbone. If they can't be responsible for themselves, they sure can't be for anyone else.,

"I also think Rad isn't the type to lose hope,

" Haley shifted her tone, picking up on my cue,

"but he's unreachable now, and the things he's done... they're unsettling.

",

"If he's got everything sorted for you, what's there to be unsettled about?

" I retorted, my tone laced with sarcasm., I'm generous, sure, but that doesn't mean I let everything slide., This woman stole my fiancé, and now she's trying to cozy up to me? No, I'm not that spineless.,

"I'm worried something might happen to him. He doesn't realize that beyond everything he's arranged, the real sense of security came from him,

" Haley's words were designed to sting., I laughed,

"Is that so? Then you shouldn't be calling me. Look elsewhere for your sense of security because you won't find it here.

", I was about to end the call when Haley stopped me,

"Felicia Hudson, if he gets in touch with you, or if you hear anything, could you let me know?

",

"I'll pass your message along if he contacts me,

" I replied before hanging up., The night breeze felt unusually chilly., Not far off, Ernest was still chatting with Susie Collins. Mulling over Jacqueline and Haley's words, I ended up dialing Dustin's number., He didn't pick up immediately, which wasn't the first time this had happened., Before, my calls were almost always answered instantly.,

"Felicia,

" Dustin picked up just as the call was about to drop.,

"Did I catch Dustin at a bad time?

" I asked, glancing at the night sky.,

"No, I was just fixing dinner in the kitchen,

" Dustin explained., Whether that was true or not wasn't for me to say.,

"Did Jacqueline call you?

" I got straight to the point.,

"She did. Brought up Rad's situation and ended up crying,

" Dustin sounded exasperated., After letting him finish, I shared,

"Jacqueline called me too, and so did Haley. They're both going on about Conrad tying up loose ends, like he's...

", I paused.

"Like he's settling his final affairs.

",

"Felicia, what kind of talk is that?

" Dustin's rebuke was uncharacteristic.,

"It's not me saying this. Besides, I'd rather not meddle, but they both reached out, so I wanted to ask if Dustin knew anything about Conrad's departure or if he left any messages?

" I made my stance clear, indicating no residual feelings for Conrad., Dustin fell silent, a silence that spoke volumes., Conrad had reached out to him, indeed settling affairs., My chest tightened slightly, but I didn't probe further, waiting for Dustin to offer his piece., After what felt like an eternity, Dustin finally murmured,

"Rad said he's exhausted, needed a real break. Told me it's time for Dustin to step up, that he wanted to return to being the carefree Conrad he once was.

", Search the website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.