I pulled out my phone, my trembling hands fumbling as I tried to turn on the flashlight. No battery. My lungs felt like they were shrinking, every breath a struggle. The exhaustion and the fear weighed me down like bricks.What else could go wrong?
A knock at the door startled me. I opened it to find Luke standing under a massive umbrella. “Why don’t you sleep in the main house tonight?” His voice was steady and kind. “It has power.” When I hesitated, he tried again. “C’mon, the place is big enough for both of us.”
I sighed. There was no point in arguing. The cottage was a hot, sticky, miserable mess. “Let me get some dry clothes.”
Using the flashlight on Luke’s phone, I threw a few things into a bag and returned to the door, where he was waiting. “I know there’s an umbrella around here somewhere,” I muttered, more to myself than him.
“This one’s big enough for both of us.” He held it over me. “Can I help you with your bag?”
Even with the oversized umbrella, our arms brushed occasionally as we made our way to the main house. I tried to ignore the tingling sensation. Despite everything—his remarks earlier, his recklessness during the flood—a part of me was relieved to be in the mansion. Being alone in the cottage, with the storm raging outside, wasn’t something I could handle tonight.
And, if I were being honest, it had felt good when he held me.
As we stepped into the house, the awkward silence grew thicker. It was made worse by Luke blushing and trying not to look at my chest. I looked down. My wet shirt clung to me like a second skin. I folded my arms, my cheeks flushing.
He dropped his eyes and cleared his throat. “You should change. Come with me. I’ll show you to a room where you can stay for the night.”
I followed him up a grand staircase and into a cozy chamber with a plush white bed and a small fireplace. He paused at the door, turning back to me. “Anna.” His voice was low. “I’m sorry for what I said before at Muses. And for scaring you with the car.”
As Luke’s words hung in the air, a strange mix of emotions rippled through me. The sincerity in his voice caught me entirely off guard.
I nodded, unsure what to say.
He knocked lightly on the doorframe as a goodbye and disappeared down the stairs.
After showering and changing into dry clothes, I wandered downstairs and into a room that stopped me in my tracks.
Two stories of shelves stretched toward the ceiling, each lined with books that looked like they belonged in a museum. Ladders slid gracefully along polished wood rails, and the soft lighting gave the space a cozy, almost magical quality. For a moment, I just stood there, taking it all in.
Luke was sitting in a plush chair near the center of the room, casually flipping through a book. My heart quickened when I realized he was wearing my lavender hoodie from Muses—the one I’d shoved at him in a panic to help him escape that bachelorette party.
His gaze lifted, and he caught me staring. “Oh, this?” He tugged at the hoodie with a half-smile. “I’ve taken to wearing it around the house. It’s ridiculously comfortable.”
I felt a strange, inexplicable flutter in my chest. “Glad it’s getting some use.” I tried to sound casual.
He grinned and leaned back in his chair, gesturing around the room. “So, what do you think? Impressive, right?”
I glanced around again, my awe returning. “Am I in heaven?”
Luke chuckled. “Close enough. This is my favorite place. And believe it or not, all these books belong to Topher.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Topher? I didn’t know he reads.”
“Shocking, I know.” He pointed toward a spiral staircase that led to the second level. “You think this is impressive? Wait until you see upstairs. Rare manuscripts, first editions, and yes, there’s a Shakespeare First Folio up there.”
My jaw dropped. “You’re kidding.”
“Not at all,” he said, his smile widening. “You’re about to see history.”
I was about to respond when my phone, now plugged into the charger, buzzed. “Excuse me,” I murmured, answering. “Hi, Aunt Delores.”
“Are you somewhere safe? Where are you?” Her tone was edged with worry.
“I’m fine,” I assured her. “I’m at Topher’s main house. It’s secure—bodyguards, whole-house generator, the works.”
That seemed to make her feel better. “A whole-house generator? We might have to invite ourselves over.”
I chuckled nervously, imagining the chaos of that. “How’s the gang?”
