Follow Me When the Sun Goes Down Read Online Free PDF

from me.  “It’s not up to you and me.”
    “What if I talk to him?”
    That stopped Rob in his tracks, a deep furrow appearing between his brows.  “Promise me you’ll do nothing of the sort.”
    “What if he understands?  What if we’re torturing ourselves over nothing?  What if he accepts it, like he accepted Bishop?”
    “Anja, I’ll have your word on it here and now or I’ll walk right out that door,” he growled, grasping my shoulders tightly. 
    “But, Rob…”
    “Say it now, there’s no you and me.” 
    “I won’t…” I refused, even as his grip tightened painfully.  “But I promise I won’t talk to Jakob about it either.” 
    He let go of me then, the tension draining from his shoulders.  “It’s for the best.”  I didn’t agree with him, but all I could do was nod dumbly as he herded me toward the bed.  I sat there, drained of energy as he took off my shoes and tucked me into bed like a child.  He brushed the hair back behind my ear, and I leaned into his hand, cherishing its warmth until he pulled away, switching off the bedside lamp. 
    “Rob?” I called out softly as he reached the door.
    “Yeah?”
    “If I decide that I do, you know, love you, do you want me to tell you?”
    He was silent for so long, I almost thought he’d left without replying, but for his silhouette against the hall light.  “No, I think it’s better if we don’t talk about it ever again.”
    “One day will you say it to me?” 
    “No, I don’t think I ever will.”
    I never felt so cold and alone in my entire life.

Chapter Four
     
    The flight back to San Francisco was a subdued one for me.  Rob was neither distant nor familiar with me, leaving off the ‘miss’ when he spoke, as I requested.  I tried catching his eye a few times to gauge how things were between us, but we seemed to miss each other’s gaze far too often for any real evaluation.  Felix and Bridget stayed behind in L.A. with the promise they’d be up in a couple of days to pow-wow about the Gathering and do some real estate shopping. 
    It was good to sleep in my own bed again, the old Victorian house comforting in the way it smelled like home.  And if I took a little longer to fall asleep, listening to Rob move around in the room next door… well, that was comforting in its own way too.  Luckily, there was plenty to focus on during the nighttime hours, between the plans for the inauguration with Maggie and Felix’s staff and the new security people to meet.  Maggie was a real gem, taking over a lot of the apologies over cancellations to my calendar that had to go out since I’d be flying to England in a week or less. 
    That left me some time to focus on my own preparations for the trip.  The problem was, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from the Gathering.  How long would it last?  Would any of my wardrobe do, or should I be hitting the mall with a vengeance?  Were there any traditions I needed to observe as Elder?  Maggie hadn’t ever been to one before, and neither had Rob or Gunnar.  I called Jenessa over as my ace in the hole, hoping she could give me some useful advice.  With her impeccable sense of style, I had no doubts the elegant blonde could steer me in the right direction.
    Unfortunately, she’d never been to one either, but she did come down to help me look through my wardrobe with a critical eye.  There were very few outfits that made the cut, one being the blue beaded gown Bishop had bought for me on my last visit, and the dress I’d worn for my housewarming party.  We sat down at the kitchen table to make out a list of what she thought I might need – all the better to attack the local boutiques she assured me would have the kind of clothes I needed. 
    Rob came up soon after the list had run onto the back of the sheet, offering Jenessa a polite smile.  Jenessa perked up as soon as he came into sight, and I noticed her back straighten, the slit in her skirt falling just enough