Chapter 7

Ralph straightened his clothes nonchalantly, erasing every trace of their intimacy. He pulled the cologne Erin had given him from his pocket and spritzed it on, masking any lingering scent. With quiet confidence, he pulled out his phone and dialed Erin. But the call wouldn't go through. What was going on? Normally, Erin would answer within five seconds, no matter what. Even if he called in the middle of the night out of sheer boredom, she picked up immediately. She would stay on the line patiently, talking with him for as long as he wanted. He dialed again and again. His calm demeanor had vanished, only to be replaced by a creeping, gnawing panic. Raven placed a steadying hand over his trembling fingers. "Relax, Ralph. Maybe her phone's just dead." He clung to the explanation like a drowning man to a life raft. "Right. That has to be it. There's no way Erin would ignore my calls. "Come on. Let's go to her place." … Erin's POV An hour later, someone knocked at my door.