Chapter 17
"Well?" Joey asked Danni as she got back in the car.
"Jasmine has the day off today. You just wanna go to the hotel?"
"Yeah. I cannot believe I let you talk me into coming on a wild goose chase."
"This is not..."
"Yes it is, D! Violet's dead. She's not alive, and she's not here in (city outside Atlanta)."
"I know you don't believe me Joey. This is quite unbelievable. But just trust me, please. I need you to trust me with this." Looking into her pleading eyes, there was no way he could tell her no. Somewhere along the line all of them had the idea implanted in the back of their minds that she wasn't really dead. But now, actually searching for her? It seemed crazy. But if that's crazy, then so is Joey for going along with it.
"Ok, D. I'm trusting you."
"Thank you." Pulling out of the parking lot, Joey made a right down the street and they headed to their hotel to unpack and shower.
While they were watching TV and relaxing, Joey commented on how he could go for some ice cream. Agreeing with him, Danni offered to go to the little convenient mart across the street.
"Nah. It was my idea, I'll go."
"Well at least let me pay. I mean you paid for the plane tickets, and I practically drug you here. It's the least I could do."
"But you paid for the hotel room."
"Which is crap by the way."
"Fine." He agreed just so he could go get the chocolate fudge ice cream he had been craving for the longest time. Kelly had him on a diet, and needless to say, he hated it.
"Ok, let me just go get my money." Going into the bedroom to get her purse, Danni heard the door close and ran out to see where Joey had gone.
"I knew it." He had left while she was in the bedroom to cheat her out of paying. "That little sly devil." She mumbled to herself before plopping back down onto the couch to finish watching Will & Grace.
Snickering to himself about the passers by in a car, Joey entered the little mart and went directly to the back where the frozen goods were kept. After getting the ice cream, Joey slowly made his way up to the counter, stopping to look at little knick-knacks and things. But he almost dropped a little glass bunny when he heard that oh so familiar laugh. A laugh he thought was completely impossible to hear again.
Thinking he was just imagining it, he decided he was going to get the figure for Brianna. "Danni must be getting to me." He told himself as he walked up to the counter.
Trying not to listen on their conversation and the woman's voice, Joey fixed his attention on anything but the woman standing two feet in front of him.
"So how is little Blaire?"
"She's great. Just got over a pretty bad case of the flu, but she's all better now."
"That's good. how old is she now?"
"15 months."
"My how the time passes. It seems just like yesterday you moved here and began coming down here for your danish cravings."
"I know." She seemed deep in thought and Joey's ears perked up at the last thing the old man behind the counter had said. Cravings? That means she had to have been pregnant with "Blaire," right?
"Stop it! Danni is going to drive you insane." His head screamed at him. but he still couldn't help but to think of how similar their...backsides were, and voices. The hair was a lot shorter, but it still looked like Violet Emerson hair.
Going for it, Joey tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention. What do I have to lose? He figured. "Excuse me, miss."
Turning around, the woman's smile immediately fell as her eyes landed upon the young man standing before her.
"I knew it."