“Where the hell are you? Elizabeth and I have been calling you. Your mother was ready to go to the police to file a missing person’s report.” Penelope doesn’t have the phone on speaker, yet I can hear Claudia’s shrill voice from across the table. “We didn’t know if you were alive or dead.”
“I’m so sorry. Cell reception isn’t the best where I am.”
“Are you okay? Are you still with Lucas? Is he an absolute ass?” I can still hear Claudia’s words loud and clear.
Penelope’s gaze flicks to me. I grin at her, waiting to hear what she has to say. “I’m good. And yes, I’m still with Lucas. He’s…okay,” she says, grinning back.
“You poor thing. It must be horrible having to spend time with him. After everything he did—”
“I don’t have time to explain it now, but things back in school weren’t what they seemed,” she interrupts.
“Okay, then tell me where the hell are you?” Claudia asks again. “I’ll come get you.”
“Lucas took me to a small town called Oaks Valley. At the moment I’m in the town’s bar, but I’m staying at his cabin for a few days to…you know…clear my head.”
“A few days. There is a shitshow happening here. The things that are being said about you are repulsive. We need you here so we can try to fix things.”
Penelope grows still. “What things?”
“Go online and see for yourself. Actually, no, don’t do that. It will only upset you. Now that I know you’re safe and in relatively good hands, I’ve changed my mind about you coming home. Take your time. Hopefully, in a few days, it will have blown over.”
“Claudia, I have to go. Tell my mother I’m okay and I’ll call her when I can.”
“Elizabeth would love to hear from you now.”
“I have something I have to do.”
“Pen, please don’t go online if that’s what you’re planning,” Claudia pleads.
“Bye, Claudia.”
Penelope ends the call and types something on her phone. As she flicks her finger over the screen and reads what’s on it, the phone trembles in her hand. Her breathing is fast and shallow. Her face drains of all color.
“I need to go.” She jumps to her feet and rushes toward the door. Whatever she’s seen online isn’t good. Not that I expected it to be.
Pulling money from my wallet, I place it on the table to cover our drinks and lunch. Chasing after her, I reach the car. Rain hits me hard in the face. Penelope is already inside. Strands of hair are plastered to her cheeks. Her legs are jutting up and down.
Sliding into the driver’s seat, I turn to her. “What did you see?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Lightning cracks through the sky, flashing a golden streak across her face. She looks on the verge of tears. A crying woman is something I’ve never dealt with before. Better to get her to the cabin before the dam opens.
Turning on the ignition, I head home. Trees are thrashing about. Leaves tumble through the air. Even though the wipers are turned onto the fastest speed, my view of the road is blurred from the torrential rain. The thunder is loud enough to shake the car, yet Penelope is staring out the windshield, seemingly unaware of any of it.
When I pull up in front of the cabin, and before I come to a complete stop, Penelope flings the passenger door open, jumps out, and runs into the forest. I scan the sky. It’s dark and dangerous-looking. She shouldn’t be out in this weather. Whatever she saw online has triggered something. I need to get her and bring her back to the cabin before she gets hurt.
Getting out of the car, I rush after her. I push my way through the brush, avoiding branches swinging toward my face. A couple of minutes later, I find her in a small clearing. Tall trees with skinny, white trunks circle around the perimeter, give the area an eerie ghostly feel. Her face is tilted toward the sky, her eyes squeezed shut. Rain mixed with her tears are rolling down her cheeks.
“Penelope!” I yell over the thunderous storm. “You need to go to the cabin. It’s not safe out here.”
She doesn’t move. Did she hear me?
I stand in front of her and take her ice-cold hands in mine. “Penny, come home with me.”
Opening her red-rimmed eyes, she yanks her hands free. “Do you know what they’re saying about me?” She doesn’t give me time to answer. “They’re sayingI’mthe one who’s been having an affair. Darren’s doing interviews about how heartbroken he was when he learned of my infidelity. Claiming that he onlyturned to Karen Featherstone one time for comfort and felt devastated by his weakness.”
“We’ll go back to the city and set things right. Tell them Darren is lying. I’m sure they’ll believe you. Your fans love you.” I try to reassure her. “Now come with me.”
She clutches at her saturated hair. “No, I can’t go back. I’m a laughingstock. They’ve chosen the most humiliating pictures. They’ve published photos of me in a robe at the hotel, looking hideous. Even photos of me curled up on the floor, like my devastation was entertainment for them. They’ve circled areas to highlight where I have cellulite on my thighs. My body is a joke. It’s getting scrutinized, laughed at.”
