Anyway, tell Hattie we’re proud of her and that we’ll keep you in check.
Wade
You can tell her she’s allowed to text us if she needs help escaping. We’re all in.
She’s right here. She’s reading this.
Sage
HATTIE RUN. Oh, shit. Ankle. I can pick you up.
Lo Lo
Blink twice if you need extraction.
CHAPTER 47
Hattie
Today was the first day Kipp let me stay home alone for a few hours while he went to town. The last two weeks, he had been doting, but he had been driving me nearly to insanity with his hovering. Begging him for just two hours of alone time made him give me mournful puppy dog eyes that almost made me tell him it was okay, but in the end, I insisted.
The last six years, I’d been an independent person, and cohabiting was new to me. Even though we were living together and starting a relationship, it was an intense situation with me injured. Not to mention, Kipp was around every second. He’d taken time off work and wouldn’t let me do anything alone.
We’d had plenty of visitors, but I’d been stuck on the porch with my crutches. Everyone was wonderful, bringing me treats every day. Lila even brought me the new book for the book club. Sadly, I missed the firstmeeting and Lila dressing up in costume, but I planned to join the next one.
Kipp had set me up on the porch with a chair, iced tea, and a book before he’d left. The urge to be on the computer or check my socials had dropped to an all-time low. Today we’d have another team meeting, but I was thinking about telling them I’d step back completely from the show. The idea of going back to anything related to true crime wasn’t very appealing now that I’d faced it directly.
Dale Galloway’s death didn’t bother me at all. In fact, it gave me savage satisfaction knowing that he was cold in the ground. The whole thing still felt surreal, and if I didn’t have the bruises, I could almost think I’d had a nightmare. Barry’s confession and quick plea deal had sealed everything. Allison’s body had been found way out in the woods between Briar Falls and King’s Creek. It was so far out that Kipp said she never would have been found if Barry hadn’t led them there. Barry’s deal apparently meant he wouldn’t face the death penalty for her murder, but he’d spend a long time in jail. I suppose that would have to be enough. Savagely, I wished he’d be in the ground along with his shitbag of a father.
Storm, Nova, and Poppy might not be the biggest fans of my new plan, but I was hoping they’d support it. Leo and Abby were active, but not as much as the others. The latest podcast received mixed reactions. The audience wasn’t too happy about the change overall, but I hopedthey’d get over it and that the squad would want to keep the podcast going.The J & J Hourwas still a legacy worth carrying forward.
My phone rang with a voice call notification. Sydney had been calling and messaging me multiple times a day, threatening to come out here and stay with me.
“Hey, Sid.” She looked tired, her dark hair tied back loosely in a ponytail. “You just finished work or something?”
The days had all blended now that I was off work, but I was pretty sure it was Saturday. She looked like she was in work clothes, which was unusual for her, but she could be tutoring. She had done that for a few years when she’d been trying to make rent during college.
“Something like that. I’m just calling to check on you.” My radar pinged right away. She was wearing a jacket, but more skin was showing than usual for a teacher. If she were tutoring, I doubt she would be dressed up. “I want to hear how you’re feeling.”
“I’m fine, enjoying the sunshine and everything. Kipp even decided he could leave me alone for a few hours. Now, stop hedging around and let’s talk about you. Every time you call, we just talk about me. What’s happening at work?” Searching back through our conversations, I tried to recall when we last talked about her job, but it was before my accident. “How’s work? Did you get fired?” I was half joking, but her whole body tightened.
“I’m working it out.” She forced a smile. “You don’t need to worry about me. You’re on the mend, right?”
“Everything is just slow to heal, but I’m getting there. Babe, why don’t you come out here? We have the cabins you could stay in. We could hang out together. Have a little vacation.”
Her whole body slumped slightly. She was in her car when someone honked, and she startled, her eyes darting over her shoulder. “I’ve got to go, bestie, but I’ll …” she bit her lip as she looked back at me. “I’ll think about it.”
She hung up the call, and I looked at my phone, confused. Huh. Everything about that didn’t feel right. I stared at the dark screen for a few seconds longer than necessary, my reflection faintly visible over the glare of the sun. Something about that call stuck in my chest and wouldn’t go away. Nothing about that felt okay to me. Sure, I’d been out of commission lately, but she knew that I was just a phone call away if she needed help. Still …
Pulling the crutches towards me, I levered myself out of the chair. Even a few weeks out, my body was throbbing in protest as I stood. The ankle hurt from hanging with the weight of the cast. I grumbled to myself as I tried to balance clumsily, shuffling and readjusting until I was comfortable enough to start moving forward.
Fish lifted his head from the floor, scrambling to his feet to follow. I’d gotten better at avoiding him when I wasmaneuvering on crutches, but he still seemed to get underfoot, and the last thing I needed was a fall. Kipp had offered to take him today, but I enjoyed his company, and since the incident with Galloway Fish’s constant company made me feel better.
“Come on, boy,” I muttered affectionately, nudging the door open with my shoulder and navigating inside.
The cabin was quiet in that soft, lived-in way that felt more like home every day. With my recovery, I’d been spending a lot of time on the couch, and you could tell. Now there was a throw blanket over the back of it, and the cushions were broken in.
My computer setup sat on a big desk in the spare room, which Kipp had designated as my new home office. I couldn’t wait for the rainy season, when I could look out the big windows from here and see the woods covered in clouds and fog.
