Then he sent her a crooked selfie of half of him holding a beer by a bonfire, a sure sign he had a few too many, but she didn’t care. She was too excited to care.
Wish u were here.
Yup, he was definitely drunk. Dahlia hesitated. She started to writeI do too, but then erased it. She wrote,Have fun—but stopped after she saw the bubble.
Where are you right now? Send me a pic. I want to see u.
Dahlia swallowed hard.I have no makeup on, and this lighting is horrible.
Noah wrote,?
“Oh, fuck it.” Dahlia held her arm out as long as she could and snapped. She barely looked before sending it. She knew if she looked, she might lose her nerve.I’m in Lil’s studio.
Wow. I cant wait to ahve u irl.
What?Dahlia wrote back. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think he wrote,have you in real life. That made no sense. All the lingering eyes, playful banter, and skin-to-skin contact had been very PG thus far. She fanned herself and shook her head. Just to be sure she didn’t have a piece of spinach stuck in her teeth or sent something that would be a deal breaker, she pulled up the picture. She gasped. All she saw were nipples, clearas day through her apparently very sheer top. Oh my gosh. She’d justsextedhim.
She covered her face and sank deeper into Lil’s chair.
The next day, in pure Noah form, it was crickets. Nothing after her last text back asking for a translation. Dahlia was slowly coming to terms with the fact that she may have accidentally come on too strong with the illicit photo. But there was nothing she could do about it, and she was not going to make the next move. She was certain of that.
Dahlia jumped into Betty and drove into town to get a few things. Noah was supposed to return tomorrow, so she decided to busy herself. The town was bustling, which was no surprise for a Saturday. The once quiet town of Southold was now overrun by city folks and foreigners, especially on a splendid July weekend. Dahlia didn’t mind much, though. The North Fork was always considered the more down-to-earth part of the east end, as opposed to the Hamptons. And after fifteen years of a “keeping up with the Joneses” mindset in Greenwich, this was precisely where she needed to plant herself.
Dahlia ran into the grocery store for dog food and a few staples, like flour and milk. Then headed to the hardware store. This time, with zero flashbacks.
She received a quick text from Daisy:
Louisa is Pop’s first cousin; it’s official! We had dinner last night, and she brought a ton of pics from when they were little. She sent in her DNA a few months ago, so it should arrive soon. Then we can compare it to ours. We have living relatives in France! Eek! Call you tomorrow. Love you!
Dahlia leaned against the paintbrush display. There was an unexpected release of tension in her shoulders that they now knewmore about her pop. For so long, his life before marrying her grandmother remained a mystery. She didn’t want to admit it to herself, but part of her had wondered if her pop was a part of Lil’s secret. There was substantial relief that he was exactly who she thought he was. She was also relieved she could rely on Daisy to navigate this since she was a French Studies major.
Good work, Detective Daisy! So glad your French Studies are paying off. Love you, trillions. Be safe,Dahlia wrote back.
The drive home was easy. Dahlia draped her hand out the window as the sun faded, feeling the cool tug of wind on her palm. The pebbles crunched beneath her tires as she pulled into the driveway. Her eyes couldn’t help but wander to Noah’s. But he still wasn’t home. Even though she knew he wouldn’t be, she’d hoped he’d changed his mind. It was okay, though. She had plenty to do and a book to read. At least she could cross that one off Lil’s list tonight.Wuthering Heights, here she came.
Dahlia considered Lil’s list as she pulled the bags from her trunk. And the secret that kept creeping back into her mind.
You need to know the truth. You deserve the truth.
Dahlia walked around to the back of the house and yanked open the screen door. What was the truth? She was still no closer. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling her throat constrict. She knew time was running out, with just over three weeks to piece together this puzzle and list the house. Which reminded her that she needed to call the realtor. She flipped on the light. The lights flickered, a loud zapping sound rippled overhead, and everything went dim.
Dahlia flicked the light switch up and down, but nothing. “No, no, this can’t be happening. Not now,” she murmured. Harry ran in, and her body suddenly went cold. She laid the bags on the counter. She wanted to text Noah, but stopped herself. What could he do anyway? He was an hour away. Dahlia pulled on her lip, pacing the worn linoleum floor. She wanted to take care of this herself,but after the small electrical fire during the renovation of her Connecticut farmhouse, she didn’t want to take any chances. Maybe he could tell her what to look for.
Hi, it’s me,she texted.I know you’re busy, but my electricity just went out, and I’m freaking out.
She waited and waited, and nothing.Shit, shit, shit!she yelled in her head.
“Harry, you stay here. I’m going into the dungeon.” Dahlia grabbed a flashlight from the cupboard. The basement was her most feared area of the house. Dahlia swatted at the cobwebs that hung from the ceiling, wincing as she walked under them, praying a spider wouldn’t crawl into her hair. It smelled musty and damp down here. Dahlia lit the way, navigating around the boxes left on the floor and bumping into a stack. She brushed the dust off the top and coughed. It readPressed flowersin script. She promised herself she’d come back for the box.
Dahlia walked past the furnace and spotted the electrical box. “Thank you, God.” While steepling her hands, she felt her pants vibrate. She answered quickly. “Hello?”
“Hey, you okay? I got your text.” Noah seemed concerned.
“Yeah.” Dahlia’s breath hitched. “A little spooked out by the basement, but I’m okay.” As many times as she’d been down there, it still freaked her out. It seemed like it was a place where secrets were kept.
“You’re in the basement. That’s good. Go to the panel and tell me if all the breakers are tripped.”
“Okay, hold on, it’s dark down here.” Dahlia opened the door. “Yeah, they are.”
