“Sorry,” she answered, her dark eyes flicking to mine.
Oddly, they seemed cold. I didn’t get that sweet warmth that had enveloped me before. I couldn’t explain it, but I’d suddenly wondered if I’d made the entire thing up.
I needed time to think, but I still wanted her to be okay whether we had a connection or not. “We should head back.”
“You could go on ahead. I’ll be along in a minute,” she answered, her gaze flicking back to the hotel room.
I spotted what I thought was a shadow moving behind the curtain. Was someone else in there? Could that explain her odd behavior? Was she trying to convince a violent ex that we somehow weren’t as close as we were?
“I really think you should come back with us,” I pressed. “We’ve got the car. And besides, how will you get in? Are you going to shimmy up the drainpipe?” I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.
She laughed, but it sounded hollow. “Right.”
After a glance back at the motel room, she nodded. “All right. Let’s go.”
“Were you finished?” Ava asked. “Did you need to grab something else?”
“Nope, all finished,” she answered with a shake of her head.
The fact that she willingly came with us made me feel better, but not by much. I couldn’t wait to get Ava’s take on this which I was certain was going to be epic.
We made the short trip home and shuffled back into the house.
“Well, thanks for coming to find me and the ride back. I’m going to head up now.” She poked a finger upstairs.
“I’ll walk you up,” I said a little too enthusiastically. I immediately chided myself for being too overzealous. This was why the woman leapt off her balcony. I was smothering her.
But the offer was out, so I motioned for her to precede me up the stairs and, after a warning glance from Ava, followed her.
She waited at the top, and I led her through the halls back to her door. “Well, here we are. I hope you get some rest.”
“Thanks. Oh, and uh, thanks for coming to find me.” She nodded.
“Of course.” I grinned at her, wondering if she’d kiss me again.
She pushed into her room and closed the door, a fleeting smile on her face before we lost sight of each other.
I slapped my hands against my forehead as I puffed out a breath. What had just happened?
“We need to talk,” Ava said from the end of the hall.
I winced, hating that it was looking more and more like she was right. Something was going on with Nattie, and I wasn’t sure we knew the whole truth. But I was worried that whatever she was hiding could destroy us.
I twisted to face her, my features grim. “I know.”
“What the hell was that?” she questioned as we headed back toward her bedroom.
“What happened?” Alex asked. “Did you find her?”
Ava huffed out a sharp laugh. “We found her, all right. Back at the motel, dressed in leather from head to toe and acting very differently than she had earlier.”
“Ahhhh,” Alex said, his jaw hanging open. “Okay.”
My mind spun as it searched for an answer. “Maybe she has Dissociative Identity Disorder.”
“Split personalities?” Ava asked.
I shrugged. “Could be. Maybe this isn’t Nattie.”
