Panicked, Alice kept her back toward Hallie and tried to open the door, to escape before the other woman could ask her any more questions.
It was locked.
She bit back a curse and slid back the deadbolt, wanting desperately to run away but luck wasn’t on her side. Fingers curling into fists, Alice closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath. She couldn’t let Hallie see her misery nor guess that anything was wrong. Soon enough, she’d know every single horrible detail if she hadn’t heard already.
Please let that not be the case. Alice didn’t think she could take more abuse without falling to her knees and sobbing like a baby. Calling upon all nine hundred and twenty-seven days of pretending to be something she was not, she pasted on a smile. The childhood mask she’d worn as a shield. Now, more than ever, she needed that protection, if just for a little while longer.
Twisting her torso, she met Hallie’s concerned stare. “Yes, I am. I have a plane to catch. I would have said goodbye but I didn’t want to interrupt your Christmas.”
Hallie tilted her head and scanned Alice’s face, frowning. “I thought you were staying. Niko implied you were. I thought you two were, well, I’ve never seen him this happy, and I thought...I’m sorry if I was mistaken.”
No, no you weren’t mistaken. Alice wanted to scream but she couldn’t. She had no excuse or any right to be in the Stavos house after what she’d done. It was obvious that neither Niko nor Chloe had told Hallie yet and Alice was grateful for the reprieve. Although she’d only known the other woman for a few short weeks, she respected Hallie greatly. She couldn’t have asked for a better person to be Chloe’s mother. It would take someone special like Hallie to pick up the pieces after Alice was gone.
“It’s easier this way. I can’t stay and he can’t leave. It’s best all-around if we end it at that. Now I really do have to leave.”
“Are you sure you have to go? I mean, it’s Christmas, and Chloe—”
The tears she’d tried to will back threatened to fall. “I know and I’m sorry, but I have a plane to catch. I have to go. Thank you so much.”
“For what? I should be thanking you. You’ve been a godsend. If it weren’t for 3Square, we couldn’t have afforded the premiums for Chloe’s medical insurance.”
“I simply gave Niko an opportunity to shine and he did. I forwarded a whole bunch of offers to the CG email address and a suggestion for a talent agent for Niko. You should expect a lot of phone calls in the next few days.”
“Thank you again for fulfilling Chloe’s wish. It means the world to her and me.” Hallie took a step toward Alice and embraced her.
Her world in tatters, Alice hugged Hallie back for a brief second before she pulled away. Offering Hallie a wavering smile, she shot out the door. Icy rain pelted her face and she picked up the suitcase, racing across the wet grass. Water flooded her shoes, but she didn’t stop. She sprinted around the corner of the house to the street. Under the street light, a black town car waited. Desperate to get in and leave before she lost it for real, she pounded on the window. The driver opened the door lock and she scooted in; hair plastered to her forehead. She gave him Grace’s address and settled back into the seat, shivering from the cold and the heartache.
Alice withdrew her phone and called Grace but it went to voicemail. Geez. She threw the phone down and drew her knees to her chest, rocking against the pain. Everything she’d tried hard to hide had been revealed in the ugliest way. She’d predicted what would happen and she’d been right. What she wouldn’t give to turn back the clock by one day and be back at the CG kitchen making truffles with Niko. That was in the past, no place to live, except to endure more pain.
Alice had been by herself before, and she’d persevered. She had no other choice but to do it again.
Chapter Fifty-Two
Niko balanced on one foot, hands by his side. Vintage punk screamed from the boom box and he rocked back on his heel, hopped up at the top of the refrain and kicked his foot landing flat against the rubber. He jumped back and repeated the move, trying to beat out his frustration on the inanimate object.
It was two days after Christmas but it seemed like a lifetime. Pain unrelated to his workout still permeated his entire body. The letdown after the pre-holiday craziness was harder than he’d anticipated because of Alice.
Spin kick, left jab, and right jab. He put every bit of strength into each punch, wanting to tire himself out to the point that he’d drop exhausted into bed and forget.
Only she was everywhere in his apartment.
He’d changed his bedding, washed every bath towel. Each time he went into the bathroom, he pictured her in the tub. The crew had removed all the 3Square equipment and the second floor was empty save the ghost of the show. Every room in the building reminded him of Alice and it was driving him insane.
Niko spun one last time, kicked off the dummy, doing a back flip, and nearly fell flat on his ass. He was getting too old for those types of tricks. Settling his feet into the mat, he wiped the back of his hand across his brow. If it wasn’t for Chloe and CG, he’d be calling his agent Howler to arrange his comeback.
And run away. Coward, a word he’d never thought to apply to himself until now. But damn it hurt.
A knock sounded at the door followed by Hallie’s muffled voice.
“Come on in,” he called out and went back to punching the bag. He’d tried to avoid her and the rest of his family but Chloe had developed a mild fever and head cold. His concern overrode his need to be alone. Wallowing in pity wasn’t helpful to anyone.
“Hey,” she said, moving into the room, arms crossed.
He stretched his neck back and forth to loosen his tense muscles. “Hey. How’s Chloe?”
“Her fever’s down and I have some good news. Dr. Wong has scheduled her stem cell transplant for January 5th. She’ll be going into the hospital tomorrow to start chemo treatments in preparation.”
Niko tightened the string on his gloves, head spinning. “That soon?” It had felt like forever to get to this point and it was finally here. Which meant Alice would be in Seattle on New Year’s Eve at the earliest.
