“What happened?” I ask, pulling her down onto my lap. “Did you have to see Braden?”
“Nope.” She purses her lips and shakes her head. “Jade brought the keys for the truck and the house with her to the diner.”
“She was very nice,” Hannah interjects. “We had nothing to worry about. She’s cut all contact with him and just wanted to make things right.”
“Where was the truck?” I ask Beck, gently squeezing her hip.
“Parked out in the open, behind her building. She confirmed that he had been using her car lately. He could have come back and forth to Emerley, and nobody would have known. I am surprised that Brian didn’t pick up on it though,” she says, rolling her eyes.
“What if he came back while you were there? Did you have a plan?” My words come out in a rush.
“Relax, you worry too much. It’s going to turn your hair grey,” she says, threading her hands through my hair at the nape of my neck, before continuing. “He wasn’t in town. A mandriving a black Escalade picked him up early this morning.” She quirks an eyebrow at me.
When Vaughan told me about his plan to get Braden out of town, I was all for it, but it had to be Beck’s decision. Finn being in the area is a good sign that pieces are falling into place.
Breathing a sigh of relief, I hold her closer.
“What happens now?” Carson asks, leaning back in his chair.
Adjusting herself on my lap, she reaches into the pocket of her denim jeans and fishes out a keychain. “I guess it’s time to take back the house.”
“Are you going to move back in?” Riot furrows his eyebrows.
“Fuck, no.” She shakes her head quickly. “I have too many unpleasant memories living there. Besides, I enjoy living at the yellow house, surrounded by Logan’s garden gnomes.” She winks at Hannah.
“They don’t belong to me.” He visibly shivers. “They come with the house, or maybe it’s the other way around. They’re slowly taking over the neighbourhood.”
“Do you have much time left on your lease?” Riot asks.
“No. I already reached out to my landlord. She has a new tenant lined up, so as soon as it’s empty, I’ll hand over the keys. You have no idea how good it feels to be this close to freedom.”
Dillon stands with his phone in his hand. “Sorry, I can’t stay. Harold ‘needs’ me. Probably misplaced the remote or some shit. I swear to God, the worst thing I ever did is teach him how to use a cell phone,” he complains. “I’m glad everything is working out, Beck. Let me know about the truck.” Waving, he leaves the six of us to figure out the next step.
“Do you want to drive over and check it out?” Carson suggests. All eyes are on her as they wait for an answer.
When she hesitates, I say, “We don’t have to do anything else today. Getting the truck back is a huge, unexpected win.”
“No.” She moves from my lap and stands. “I want to go to the house. At least see what kind of mess it’s in. Braden isn’t known for his housekeeping skills. I doubt I’ll get my deposit back.”
With the decision made, we pile into our trucks, leaving Beck’s safely behind, and make the quick trip across town to check out the home she once shared with Braden.
The older stone and stucco house is on a quiet residential street. It and the surrounding homes are all well-maintained. Some neighbours have already strung their lights for the upcoming holiday season. There is no sign anyone has been here recently, given the number of flyers sticking out of the mailbox.
“Are you ready?” I ask Beck as she stares out the windshield. When she says nothing, I ask, “Are you okay? We don’t have to do this today if it’s too much. Or I can go in and scope it out to see how much needs to be done.”
“No, I need to do this. I’m fine.” She lifts the corner of her mouth. “It’s strange. This is the first time I have been here since I left. I didn’t think I would ever come back. I promise I’ll tell you if I’m not, okay?”
We meet on the front steps and wait for our friends to join us. Beck inserts the key in the lock, twists the knob, and has to push the stiff door open. When she flips on the lights, you can see dust motes floating in the stale air.
Everyone branches off in different directions.
“I swear to God I owned furniture when I lived here,” Beck says, wandering around the room. The only thing that remains is a beat-up recliner and a TV tray. Even the television is gone.
“Can confirm.” Hannah comes to stand beside her.
The small kitchen table is stacked with mail. There are dirty dishes in the sink, and the garbage needs to be taken out. The fridge is almost completely empty except for a few condiments and an expired litre of milk. Cupboard doors have been left ajar.
“This bedroom is empty,” Carson calls, stepping back into the hall and shutting the door.
