I took a deep breath as he stared at me.
Why was he fighting this? I wasn’t asking for much. Just one thing. Then again, maybe I’d asked for everything. Maybe he was just as afraid as I was. Afraid this was the moment I’d finally fall apart.
Another crack of thunder rattled the room as Hudson stepped into the library. His soaked clothes clung to him. When he saw us, his face darkened. Something in his expression shifted into high alert.
“The storm hit much faster than the weather report said,” he told us, his voice sharp with concern. “It’s bad out there. The mainland has already lost power. Emergency services are overwhelmed. Fires, medical calls, the whole system is under strain.”
Daniel turned toward him. “So we’re stuck?”
Hudson nodded grimly. “The storm’s heading right for us. We might take a few lightning hits too, but the house is equipped with a solid lightning rod system. We’ll be safe. As long as we stay inside.”
Something about it all made my skin crawl. The tension in the air wasn’t just from the storm. My gut twisted.
“It’ll be loud when lightning hits,” Hudson warned. “And we’ll lose power. But the backup generators will kick on instantly.”
I turned to focus back on Daniel. “So? Are you coming down there with me?”
Daniel covered my hand with his. The panic in his eyes had vanished, replaced by a strange calm. His gaze drifted to Hudson, who’d been watching us. They locked eyes.
Then Daniel looked at me. “All right,” he said. “Let’s go to the basement.” His voice was clear, steady.
Hudson froze, eyes widening. “The basement? No, Daniel. You can’t.”
“Let’s go,” Daniel repeated, louder this time.
If this were a thriller novel, I’d have let out the clichéd breath I didn’t know I was holding. Instead, I rose from the couch, the relief of Daniel’s support making me move quick and light.
“Daniel, can I talk to you?” Hudson’s tone was sharp. Almost desperate.
“Hudson,” Daniel said, meeting his eyes as he rose. “We can’t keep going like this.”
“Can’t keep going like this?” I echoed. “What do you mean?”
“Daniel, stop this right now,” Hudson snapped, quickly crossing the room and standing before Daniel like a threat.
“No. It’s over, Hudson. She thinks she hurt Rascal. My wife—the kindest, most selfless person I know—thinks she hurt that little dog.” Daniel’s voice cracked slightly. He spread his arms, motioning at the space around us. The Breakers. “All of this, it’s too much for her. And for me. Too much for all of us.”
“What she needs to do is leave. You both do,” Hudson argued, his jaw tight. “Right after the storm. Go back to your old lives. Give it time, and you’ll both find your way back.”
“Daniel.” My voice cut into the conversation. “What’s going on?”
“She won’t get better unless I show her the truth,” Daniel countered.
“Yes, she will,” Hudson countered, trying to slip back into that calm, reasonable tone of his. “With time. Far away from here.”
“Let’s go, Emily.” Daniel reached his hand toward me.
I took it, lacing my fingers in his. Together, we began walking.
Hudson stepped in front of us to block the way again. “There’s no woman in the basement, Emily. And it’s not safe to go down there.” His eyes darted between us. “Actually, we can’t go down there anyway. I think I lost the key to the door. Probably dropped it outside somewhere. Silly old man, right?” He gave a short, awkward laugh.
“Just tell me where the key is,” Daniel insisted.
“We don’t need the key,” I said.
“What?” Hudson turned toward me.
“There’s a hidden corridor. In the pantry room.” I nodded in the direction of the kitchen. “The woman in the basement told me about it.”
