Sun & Moon - a contemporary romance (The Minstrel Series #1) (29 page)

Her hour blew by quickly, as most of her performances did for her. “I’m going to end my set with a song I started several months back and just finished ten minutes before I got on stage tonight. It’s dedicated to the one who broke my heart.”

Micah’s dark eyes drilled into her, his mouth in a firm line. She broke the gaze, snapping her eyes shut, knowing this was going to hurt.

Don’t go now

I know it’s late and the light is growing dim

But I just like the way

You feel beside me on the front steps, not yet

Sing me one more song,

The one about the girl, who finds the whole wide world

She risked a peek. Micah looked stricken by her words. She had to look away.

Don’t go now

I know it’s late and the dark is folding in

But I just like the way

Your fingers close around my hand, so grand

And sing me one more song

The one about the girl who finds the whole wide world

So far she had managed to sing without her emotions threatening to crack her voice, but now, as she prepared to enter the last verse, she had to squeeze her eyes shut and focus on staying strong.

Don’t go now

I know it’s late and the light is spreading thin

But I just like the way

The shadows pattern on the road, don’t go

And sing me one more song,

The one about the boy who never let her go

The crowd roared, and the room began to spin. She thanked the crowd, keeping her eyes focused on the back of the room. She packed up her guitar, her heart pounding against her chest. She knew Micah was watching her, but she couldn’t face him. She couldn’t bear the look of grief on his face.

He didn’t give her a choice.

“Katja?”

“I wrote it while waiting for you. Call it our engagement song.”

He reached for her arm.“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

She sighed. “But you did. I want to forgive you, Micah, and I do, but… I just need more time.”

“You can have as much as you want.”

She didn’t know what she was promising him, if anything. “I have to go.” She left him standing near the stage. She was surprised to see Matthias waiting by the door.

“I thought you left,” she said to him.

“Nah. I had to see you play.” He cocked an eyebrow. “I hate to say it, but that last song rocked.”

She shook her head sadly. “I don’t know if I’ll ever sing it again.”

For the first time, Matthias carried her guitar case for her. “You look beat. I’ll take you home.”

“Thanks.” She couldn’t stop herself from taking a peek over her shoulder at Micah. He stared at her looking bereft. In her heart, she knew she was leaving with the wrong guy, but she couldn’t help herself. She wanted Micah to know what it felt like.

The next day was Sunday, her day off, and Katja slept in. The timing was good, because she didn’t have the physical or emotional energy to get out of bed. As she lay there in the dim winter morning light, the events of the night before replayed in her mind, over and over again. Micah’s return into her life was an unexpected wrench. She needed some downtime to process it.

Plus, she didn’t want to risk running into Matthias again. She liked him as a friend only, and she felt badly that she’d let him believe there was a chance for something else. Next time she saw him, she’d have to tell him how she felt. She hoped their friendship would survive. Her heart couldn’t bear losing another person she cared about so dearly.

Her cell phone rang on the side of her bed, and she groaned. She wasn’t up to speaking to anyone, especially Micah or Matthias. She picked it up, expecting to see one of their names on the screen, but instead it was her lawyer’s name, Tanya Fullermann.

“Katja Stoltz,” Katja answered.

“Hello, Katja. It’s Tanya Fullermann. I have news you may not be happy to hear.”

Katja’s heart skipped. “What is it?”

“Horst has been released on probation.”

Blackness closed in on the edges of Katja’s eyes, and she pinched them tight. “Oh.”

“Your restraining order against him is still in effect, but I wanted to make sure you knew he was back on the streets.”

Katja sprung out of bed, whisking to the front door to make sure it was locked. Sibylle was watching television while eating breakfast. A startled look crossed her face. “What’s wrong?”

“Uh, nothing, just checking the door.”

She heard Gisela banging around in the kitchen, and she slipped in to tell her the news, keeping her voice low.

Gisela’s hand reached for her throat. “What are we going to do?”

“There’s nothing we can do, except use extra caution. We can’t let Sibylle out alone.”

Gisela nodded, but Katja knew she was concerned. Sibylle would turn twelve soon. They couldn’t keep her under lock and key forever. She had a life. Or at least, she should have a life. She needed friends and hobbies that took her beyond home and school. She wouldn’t put up with Katja escorting her everywhere for much longer.

She shared her concerns with Henni later that day when she dropped by for a visit.

“I’ll help watch her,” she said. Her hair streaks were pink now. “Sorry I missed your show last night,” she added. “How did it go? I heard Simone Pellar was really good.”

“You heard how Simone’s set went, but not mine?”

“Well, actually, I heard yours was amazing and that you did some crazy powerful song at the end, but I wanted to hear it from you.”

“Micah showed up last night.”

“
The
Micah?”

Katja nodded.

“And?” Henni poked her in the ribs. “Come on. Spill!”

“And, I sang the song I wrote the night he left me. To hurt him. Then I left with Matthias. To hurt him. I’m an awful person.”

“Oh, Katja.” Henni pulled her into a hug. “The fact that you feel awful about what you did just proves you’re not an awful person. Besides, he deserved it.”

Katja pulled free and pressed fingers against her eyes. She was so tired of tears. “Yeah, he did, but now it’s over, and I don’t feel any better.”

“It takes time,” Henni said with a knowing look. “It just takes time.”

Katja threw all her pent-up energy into work the next day. The physical act of viciously scrubbing dishes didn’t calm her raging emotions at all. Micah was here in Berlin, messing with her mind. If she didn’t have her mother and sister to worry about she’d just catch the next train to wherever. But she did have them. She was stuck. What was she doing with her life? How long would she be washing dishes and scrubbing floors?

She examined her hands. Red and chapped, they looked like they belonged to an old lady. She’d taken to chewing her nails lately to relieve stress. Thick calluses had formed on the tips of her fingers again from playing guitar.

At least the dishes were done. She just needed to do the floor and then she could go. Hopefully, she’d be gone before Matthias showed up. She just didn’t have the energy to deal with him right now.

She grabbed the blade and got down on her hands and knees to scrape the floor. She was halfway done when she heard a male voice call her name.

It wasn’t Matthias’s voice. She froze on the spot. No, please. She didn’t want him to see her like this: sweaty and grimy, dressed in scrubs, on her hands and knees.

“Katja?” he called again.

She turned, and Micah was standing in the doorway, looking like a model, wearing clean, name brand jeans and a crisp shirt. A shocked expression crossed his gorgeous, clean-shaven face.

She couldn’t feel more humiliated. “What are you doing here?” she mustered

“I thought I’d drop in for coffee.”

She flung her hand. “You missed the café by about two meters. It’s behind you.”

“I know. I thought you worked there.”

“No, I work in the bakery, back here.” She wished the floor she’d been scraping would just open up and swallow her.

“When does your shift end?” he asked. “Should I wait for you?”

Oh, God, no. “I really should go home. I need to shower…”

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. Now what? She dug it out and answered it. Her face blanched as she listened to her mother’s frantic voice. She sprung to her feet. “I’ll be right there, Mama.”

“Is something wrong?” Micah asked

“Sibylle is missing. Horst is out on bail, and my mother thinks she’s with him.”

“Isn’t she in school?”

“It’s a school holiday. I have to go home.”

“Of course. I’ll drive you.”

She didn’t want to go anywhere with him, especially looking like she did, but he would get her home faster than walking or transit.

“Okay.” She told Herr Bauer she had a family emergency and had to leave before the floors were done. He bellowed his disapproval, and she wondered if she’d still have a job the next day.

She didn’t speak during the trip over, sitting as close to the passenger door as possible. She hated how the bakery made her smell and didn’t want Micah to sniff her. And she couldn’t believe she could care about something so vain when her sister was missing. She tapped her fingers restlessly on the arm rest, just wanting to be home
now.

Micah hooked his blue tooth around his ear. Katja didn’t see how he connected to the person on the other end, but she perked up when he started talking.

“His name is Horst Bergmann. Out on parole. I need to verify his whereabouts. I’m with the older daughter now. The younger one is missing and they are concerned she’s with Bergmann without authorization.”

A pause. “Yes, that’s fine.”

“Who were you talking to?”

“My lawyer. He’s putting a call into the parole board. They’ll locate your step-father.”

The lawyer hadn’t called back by the time they arrived at the building. Katja raced up the stairs with Micah right behind her. She banged on the door.

“Mama, it’s me!”

Gisela opened the door, her eyes puffy and red. “I’m sorry Katja. I fell asleep. When I woke up she was gone.”

“She could be anywhere,” Micah said. “You can’t know for sure she’s with Horst.”

Gisela squinted. “Who is this, Katja?”

“Oh, Mama, it’s Micah. You’ve met before, a long time ago.”

Gisela nodded slowly. “That Micah.”

Yes,
that
Micah.

Katja raced to her room. Just in case. Her sister may have returned without her mother noticing. “Sibylle?”

The bed was neatly made. There was no sign of her sister. Katja took a moment to quickly change her clothes to a clean shirt and jeans. She put her winter coat back on.

“I’m going to search for her,” she announced. “Mama, stay here in case she comes back. Call me the minute she does. I’ll let you know if I find her.”

Katja skipped down the steps with Micah on her heels. When they got to the street, Katja didn’t know which way to turn. Left or right. She chose right, the direction of the school. But why would she go there? She spun and went the opposite direction. What did it matter where Sibylle would choose to go? If Horst had her, she wouldn’t be anywhere near here.

Micah clasped her arm. “Katja?”

“I don’t know what to do.” Katja ran her rough fingers through her ponytail. “I feel so helpless. If he does anything to her. If he hurts her…”

She buried her face in her hands and instantly felt Micah’s strong arms encase her. She shivered in his embrace.

“Shh,” he said, stroking her hair. “We’ll find her.”

Katja pulled herself free. She had to get a hold of herself. She wasn’t going to find Sibylle by weeping on Micah’s shoulder.

Micah stuffed his hand in his pocket and pulled out his phone. “Sturm.” He nodded and said, “Thanks.”

Katja stared at him waiting.

“They’ve located Horst. He doesn’t have her.”

When Micah said those words it was like he’d lifted a bag of rocks off her back. She let out a hard breath of relief. But her sister was still missing. “Where is she then?”