“Carter!” My mother admonishes me as my sister shakes her head disapprovingly. “Everyone has their bad days.”
“It might be true, but the last thing I need right now is a charity case.”
My mother switches gears. “Did you take your meds today?”
“I’m an adult. I know I have to take them even when you two aren’t hovering,” I grumble.
I squint at the bottles on the nightstand. With a swipe, they fall into the open drawer. I don’t want my temporary roommate to stumble across them.
“I ran into Alicia this morning,” Jackie says in a bitter tone and I’m grateful she’s not piling on. “I’m surprised by the coincidence,” she air quotes the last word.
Alicia’s been relentless since she saw me a month ago. I don’t care about her excuses and moaning about how she hates hospitals. What I despise, and the main reason I’ll never go back to our hookups, is how she used my sister.
“Does she know anything?” That’s all that matters when it comes to Alicia.
“Doesn’t look like it, she’s just sniffing around.” A flicker of sadness crosses Jackie’s features and I hate that I’m partially to blame. “Don’t worry, I won’t be fooled again.”
“It wasn’t your fault, Jackie. She had an agenda all along. It hurt you more than me.”
After two years of being joined at the hip, Alicia stopped answering Jackie’s calls and avoided her at events. I suspect my sister’s lack of good friends is also my fault. She noticed early on that the girls in her school invited her to pajama parties to grill her about me. But she never blamed me.
The clatter of pans and dishes grabs my attention. It’s my cue to join…My brain grinds to a stop. I was so tired last night that I didn’t even ask her name. Exhaustion made me sloppy. Can’t wait to let our security chief, Derrick, know that I didn’t notify them about last nightandI also had no clue about her name. He’s going to give me an hour-long lecture about sending his team to their rental as soon as I parked and being an irresponsible principal who’s a pain in his ass.
The heavy smell of a full breakfast almost makes me turn around, but I brace myself and follow it to the small kitchen. The morning light showering that corner of the house hits the willowy woman’s copper hair like a halo and it takes me a second to notice it’s no longer messy. She has it tied neatly at the nape of her slender neck.
“I didn’t get your name last night.”
She spins sharply, clutching a teacup to her chest that hitches to the rhythm of her startled exhale. She’s more put together but her ashen complexion still shows signs of whatever has her hiding in the mountains with her phone off.
“It’s…” She clears her throat. “Eliza.” Her voice has a raspy pitch I’d normally find seductive. But she’s on the verge of crying, which quickly snuffs any temptation.
I hope she doesn’t, because it’ll be extremely uncomfortable for both of us. I’d rather walk on hot coals than deal with strangers in their most vulnerable moments.
“Well, Eliza, are you expecting company?” I ask, waving my hand over the spread laid out on the kitchen island.
If I’m lucky I’ll find some food that won’t send me back to the hospital. It can’t happen again, so I have to be cautious and follow my plan.
It’s the only way I can get back to my normal life without my family breathing down my neck. I just have to stick to the recovery plan and “enjoy” three months in the middle of the woods, hopefully alone.
“Oh, no,” Eliza says in a small voice. “It’s an apology breakfast, for the mix-up last night. The full Maine experience,” she adds with a tilt in her voice. There’s a plea to accept her offering in those red-rimmed brown eyes. They stand out eerily, in stark contrast to her pale skin.
“No need.” I reach for the fruit and some plain yogurt, bypassing the eggs, sausages, hash browns, and a mountain of pancakes. “I’ll accompany you to the lodge you mentioned after I’m done.”
Eliza doesn’t comment on my choices. She’s shuffling on the opposite side. I leave her to break the silence while I enjoy some surprisingly tasty blueberries.
“You were kind enough to let me stay here last night,” she starts tentatively, not looking at me. It makes me instantly suspicious. “I have few things anyway; I can move them myself.” She keeps adjusting the plates and napkins, still avoiding eye contact.
Now I want to go with her to the other cabin because Eliza is clearly not telling me something. I’m a perfect gentleman, after all. Making sure she won’t bother me again is a bonus.
“I’ll enjoy the walk.” It comes out curt and dismissive, giving her pause. I’m used to cutting through bullshit after dealing with people thinking I was easy prey because I was too young to run the company after my father died.
Eliza fidgets with her apron and tries to come up with something a couple of times before she speaks again.
“The view’s not spectacular on that side. You’d be better off visiting the town. There’s a great coffee shop I can recommend,” she spews in one go, sporting the fakest smile. People trying to charm their way into my graces is nothing new. But she’s doing it to get rid of me. Interesting.
“No.” I don’t negotiate. When I want something, I get it. And now I want to know why she’s trying so hard to talk me out of going with her. I’ll call it doing my due diligence. She might be hiding something dangerous, and I can’t risk it.
“No?” Her mouth is slightly ajar in disbelief that her little customer service grimace didn’t persuade me. “It’s five minutes away. I’ll be fine.” The high-pitched inflection at the end makes me wonder if she wants to convince me or herself.
