I knew I had to talk to him at some point. I had to disentangle myself from him, disentangle him from the project. Get out of that apartment, though I had no idea where I’d go. Well, maybe one idea, though the thought of living in that gigantic strange house after the fundraiser was over seemed ludicrous.
What options did I have? I didn’t have another job. And I didn’t have enough money to go into a partnership with an investor if I wanted to retain any kind of control. Control was especially important to me now that I knew what an investor could do with control of the property — an investor like Landon’s dad.
When was Landon going to spring the big plan on me? Actually, now that I thought about it, he’d mentioned that his dad was interested in investing. Landon wanted to work me up to it, I guessed. Butter me up, grease the wheels. Get me to commit and then unveil the grand future.
Even as I thought these things, I somehow couldn’t believe them. Maybe my man-o-reader was broken, but I just couldn’t believe I’d misjudged Landon so badly.
I didn’t want to believe it. I wanted to believe in that man who’d made love to me on the beach. Who’d been there for me every day, putting the pieces together. Making everything all right. Because that’s what he’d done for me. He’d made everything all right, made me believe that itcouldbe all right. Even made me believe that my future would be even better with him in it.
That would be the hardest thing to forgive.
I got some things from the apartment when I knew he wasn’t there and crashed on my mom’s couch for the rest of the weekend while I worked the haunted house. I took over Millie’s role, handling tickets and dealing with details. And it was amazing. Saturday and Sunday were packed, and as the next week rolled in and word got around, ticket sales for the final Thursday to Sunday run exploded.
And still I stayed at my mom’s, apologizing for crowding her and grandma in their little bungalow. They actually seemed pretty happy about having me there. But as used as I was to sharing a bathroom, having three women fight over the shower and the sink in the morning was way too much. I knew I couldn’t stay there forever, but I wasn’t ready to confront Landon yet.
The texts had trailed off, but he still pinged me at least once a day. Did he have no clue?
He’s a man,I told myself.As a rule, men are short on clues.
After the haunted house, I’d get the rest of my stuff out of the apartment and live in the mansion until I figured out what to do. I didn’t think I was cut out for aGrey Gardensexistence, but hey, I did have a new obsession with roses. And the ghosts would keep me company.
Speaking of ghosts, Penelope told me she’d heard some weird things in the library between tour groups. And she had a psychic streak that I had trouble dismissing.
Could Milkweed Mansion really be haunted? Was poor sweet Flora still wandering the halls? And was she pissed about our crass entertainment?
Sunday night was bittersweet. The tours were packed — in fact, we went an extra hour to accommodate walk-ups — and it was nearly midnight when the last guests left and we turned off the giant wraith. It was over. I’d bought some wine and pizza, and I sat with the half-costumed ghouls on chairs we’d set up in the ballroom, telling tales and joking around until, pleading exhaustion, they began to gather their things and leave.
“This was really fun,” Thea said as I walked her and Duncan, the last stragglers, out to the porch. “I have no idea why I’ve never tried performing before.”
“It’s because you’re so modest and shy,” Duncan said, and I laughed out loud, remembering Thea’s screams.
“I usually am,” Thea agreed.
“Come on,” Duncan said, and then I heard him whisper in her ear, “I know how to make you scream.”
I tamped down a surge of jealousy at their easy intimacy. They were chuckling as they walked around the house, out to their car. In the distance, beyond the river and the beach, a flash of light in the sky signaled the end of our dry spell. A low rumble of thunder followed as Thea and Duncan drove out. And then I heard something else.
Another vehicle was coming up the drive.
I took a deep breath of the humid night air as Landon got out of his truck and stood there for a minute, watching me.
He strolled up to the porch, looking more formal than usual, if you can call jeans, a white button-up shirt and a skinny tie formal. I realized with a shock that it was the same outfit he’d worn for the faux dating video.
I looked him up and down, appreciating his look. He was as handsome as ever. And truth was, he still struck a chord in me. My body hummed just having him near, and even my stupid heart tried to beat out of my chest. How could I reconcile the Landon who plotted to turn this place into condo-land with this man I knew, this man in front of me?
Honestly, he looked as uncertain as I felt. “How’d it go?”
I nodded. “Really well. As well as it could have. I don’t think we made enough to do what I want to do, but it was great.”
Thanks to you.
How could you throw it all away?
He put his hands in his pockets. “I tried to reach you all week.”
“I was busy.”
“I know, but — I’m sorry I couldn’t be out here to help. I owed my dad a lot of time and had to get some things taken care of.”
