"It wasn't an accident, Mom. He looked right at me when he—"
"Alice." Firm now. Final. "You're overreacting. You know you do this. You take things and blow them out of proportion. Just go home and apologize for whatever you did to upset him." Her words were calm. Practiced. The same script she'd used my whole life. I could almost see her at her kitchen table, dismissing me with a wave of her hand.
“You know what, Mom?” I nod. Fix things, Alice. You’re being dramatic, Alice. “Nevermind.”
I hung up before she could finish. Grandmother's house. The key was already on my ring. I'd turned off the electricity months ago to save money, but tonight I didn't care if it was hot. Didn't care if it was dark. Lance didn't know about that house. He'd never even met her—my grandmother had made sure of that after the first time I showed up at her door with excuses I didn't believe myself. I started the car. The engine turned over, steady and sure. I don't know where I'm going.
No.
I know exactly where I'm going. Away from here. Away from him.
I just need to get the hell out of Creeksprings.
And maybe this time, I won't come back.
Chapter 1
Alice
Now
“Alice,you’reyoung,right?”Nora asks out of the blue, unlocking the front door of Pine Hollows Community Bank and walking towards my teller station.
“I like to think so.” A laugh escapes me, adjusting my glasses as I settle into my chair. “Why?”
“Well, I need something for my daughter, and she’s around your age.” She unhooks the lock on the door behind the teller line, locking it back behind her. “She’s about to be the big two-one.”
“I’m actually twenty-five.” Leaning back into my office chair—set ridiculously high so customers can see me over the counter. “But I’ll take the compliment.”
“So what do you young people like?” Nora spins her chair, facing me.
“Well, Nora, I just bought my daughter-in-law a custom coffee cup at the Cozy Cup.” Linda, the branch manager, walks out of her office, leaning against her doorframe. “And they do free refills for any cup they sell over there.”
“Honestly, you can’t beat that.” I grasp my paperback, opening where I last placed my bookmark. “I don’t even have one of those cups, and I basically live there.”
A year free now, and the Cozy Cup has become my sanctuary. The one place I can just be Alice.
As soon as my eyes hit the first line, my phone vibrated against the counter.Location update complete. Device synced.The words swam. My hand was shaking.When did that start?
I swiped the notification away, but it had already burrowed under my skin. Just a routine update.
Had to be.
I place my phone face down, staring at my book.
The words don't come into focus.
“Girl, I found some really cute designer clothes at the thrift store.” Madison pulls out her chair at my usual table in the corner, away from everyone else. She's my rock. We've been friends our whole lives, and she's never left. “I almost don’t want to sell them. I even found some red bottoms.”
“Red bottoms?” I blink, raising my eyebrows.
“You know, the heels with the red painted soles.” Madi nods enthusiastically. “They’re worth thousands of dollars.”
“Well, I’m not big on heels.” I wave my hands dismissively. These days, I prefer shoes I can run in.Old habits.
Ms. Diane places our cups in front of us, steam curling up from the surface.
“Thank you, Ms. Diane.” I smile genuinely. She’s become one of my favorite people in Pine Hollows. And not only because she owns a coffee house and makes the best white chocolate mocha.
