Chapter 67 Chasing You

John picked up the burner phone he’d bought and accessed the company directory and found Bess’s address and phone number. He glared at his mother sitting silently beside him and waited for Bess to answer. It rang several times before she answered and when she did her voice was chopped and cold.
“What do you want John?” She asked angrily. Anna was more than just her Boss’s wife, she was her best friend and right now she was in best friend mode as she spoke to him. Frankly, she didn’t care if he fired her or not.
“I need to talk to Anna Please.”
“Nope, She’d not here,” Bess said popping the P on the word Nope.
“I don’t believe you,” John said quietly trying to keep the panic out of his voice.
“Whatever you say boss, but I’m telling you she’d not here.”
“Where is she?”
“I don’t have to tell you anything, you lost that right when you cheated on her “
“I didn’t cheat on her!” He bellowed scrubbing his face. “I need to explain this to her, where is she? Please tell me.” He knew he was begging but he really didn’t care.
“At a hotel taking some time to think. I wanted her to stay with me but she said she needed to be alone. God, you really did a number on her you jerk.”
John gulped and felt his heart beating hard in his chest. “Which hotel?”
“Can’t tell you that. She needs you to stay away from her right now.”
“No she needs me to explain, Bess I would never do this to her.”
“Like you didn’t at the anniversary party like you weren’t really jealous when Liam started working for her?”
“Bess…” John started but was cut off.
“Don’t Bess me, you are crazy if you think I’m going to tell you where she is.”
“What if I threaten to fire you?”
“Go ahead, I’ll have my resignation on your desk by morning.”
John sighed and laid his head down on the wheel. She was obviously not going to tell him where Anna was. He just didn’t know what he was going to do.
“NO? That’s what I thought.” Bess said with a dry huff as she hung up the phone.
John had no idea what he was going to do now. Anna was somewhere in the city hiding and he had no way to find her. His whole life was slipping away and there was nothing he could do.
“Hmm, this is the universe telling you that she is not right for you.” His mother said sullenly.
“Stop it! I swear if you say one more word I don’t know what I’ll do.”
“You can start by letting me out of this car, what on earth are you forcing me to come with you anyway.”
“So you can tell Anna what you did, what else?”
Melissa sniffed, “I won’t.”
“Stop acting like such a child, You made this mess and now you are going to make it right.”
“Or what you’ll call the police?”
John sighed and lifted his head glaring at her “I hoped you would do it because it is the right thing, silly me. How was I ever fooled by you for so long?”
“Oh yes, I’m such a bad person,” Melissa said sarcastically looking out the window.
“You are!” That’s the point!”
Melissa had the nerve to look hurt but John just ignored it. “You will make this right, I can’t lose her.”
“You can’t even find her anyway, it’s not like you can track her.”
John’s mind raced as he realized that she might have gone back to her car and he could use OnStar to track it. He smiled for the first time in a long time as he hit the button and asked for help.

***
Anna sat in the bed at the hotel staring at the wall as Bess hung up the phone. Her head pounded and her face was tight thanks to the ocean of tears she’d cried. She felt like she had aged a hundred years in the last few hours. Her eyes were glazed and unfocused and she felt like a shell of herself.
“You lied to him,” Anna said vacantly.
“Did you want me to tell him where you were?”
“No.”
Bess came over and sat down on the bed pulling Anna into a hug. “I’m so sorry I can’t do more for you. How can I help you?”
Anna looked at Bess and gave her the saddest smile she’d ever seen. “What you’re doing is perfect, Thank you for being such a good friend.”
“you’d do the same for me.”
“I would, anytime.”
“So do you know what you’re going to do from here?”
“So much has happened, I’ve gone through so much to change things,” Anna said burying her head in her hands.
“Anna, if it’s this hard maybe it’s not meant to be.”
“But the universe gave me a second chance to change my marriage, how can it go so wrong.”
“I’m not sure what you mean honey,” Bess said as she looked at Anna.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“Try me.” Bess said sitting criss-cross staring at Anna, “This story of yours might explain some very odd things in this situation.”
“Well,” Anna stated “It all started in an apartment in Los Angeles….

***
John pulled in behind Anna’s car and jumped out barely throwing into park. He didn’t even look at his mother as he threw the door open, at this point she knew he would follow through on his promise to call the police so she stayed put.
“Anna…” he started but then his face fell as he saw that it was empty. He sat down in the car and looked around for any hints as to where she might be. He looked in the dash and under the seat and found nothing until he saw the sparkle on the floorboard. John’s heart dropped in his chest as he held Anna’s Wedding and engagement ring aloft. It caught the light and his heart cracked. John screamed so loud his mother heard it in his car. John slammed his fist on the dash until feeling it crack. John had no idea what to do next