The Bounty Hunter's Trilogy: Chosen By Fate

Chapter 20. What is with the Whispering?

Eventually Beverly was moved back to her room. Stan would be only after he was fully recovered. Beverly was still much thinner than before, but she was up to a healthy weight. Chad was allowed to do checks on her if he got worried, but he wasn't allowed in her room with her still. After helping him settle her back into her room, we left and I closed the door. I turned to Chad, who was smiling. His face fell when he looked back at me. "What?"

"What has you all perky?"

He shrugged, looking back at the door. "She's just... I don't know, man. You don't find girls like that anymore. Lucky for me the feeling seems to be mutual."

I shook my head in disbelief. "You didn't even know she existed until a few days ago."

He raised an eyebrow over the rim of his glasses. "Yes, well, it only takes a second when you know she's the one. Am I right?"

"Actually, I disagree. I think you have to get to know them first." With a pat to my shoulder, Chad nodded sympathetically.

"Of course you do, Daniel. How's that hypothesis working out for you so far?"

I pushed his hand off of my shoulder. "Actually, it's saved me from a lot of heartbreak and disappointment. Girls think they can take me for granted just because I'm nice, and when I try to get to know them first, it either scares them off or it makes them open up more than they intend. Either way, it works in my favor. I may not have a closet full of skeletons, but that doesn't make me less of a man."

Chad took off his glasses and wiped them off with his shirt before putting them back on his nose and scooting them up with his pinky until they were settled into the bridge of his nose. "Yes well, with a few skeletons in my closet, I can tell you you're going about this entirely the wrong way."

I narrowed my eyes. "Is that so?"

"Yes it is. For instance, why is Beverly so attached to me already if you've known her for eight months now? You'd think after maybe... July you could've gotten her. So do you really think you're playing this game the right way?"

I was about to make a smart come back to that (believe me it was good) but that remark caught me off guard. "I never told you how long we've known each other."

He pointed to the door we were next to. "Beverly told me."

"Beverly isn't talking to anybody right now." His smile faltered and he swallowed, ready to speak. "Why July, Chad?" Chad straightened his tie just in time for his tablet to beep with an alert. He pulled it from his pocket and headed down the hall without another glance in my direction. And yet another thing caught my attention. For a split second, I could've sworn up and down that the tablet he had been holding wasn't made of copper.

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Once given the okay a few days later, Stan was finally allowed back upstairs to rest and recover. Since he finally looked like a human again and had no trace of Bounty left in him, it was safe for everybody to be around him again. Audrey couldn't be separated from him once he was up there. She practically ate for him. She left to get him some lunch and I walked past their room on my way to my room.

"Daniel!" He whispered. I looked in and he motioned for me to come in. I went over to where he was in bed and he looked behind me to make sure we were alone.

"Is something wrong?"

"Yeah my wife is pregnant and she is very clingy and protective right now. She won't take a break. She's being obsessive and it's getting out of hand."

I shrugged. "So what do you think I can possibly do about it?"

"Distract her with something. Please, I am begging you to keep her busy with something."