Page 142 of Rhodes

"She sent me a picture yesterday. Whole bank's flagged up like somebody threw pink confetti through the marsh."

I turn toward the sink and drink half the glass.

"You want to see?"

Every part of me does. "No, I'm good."

He looks up.

"You hate marsh pictures now?"

"I've seen marsh."

"Fair."

He goes back to his phone.

I grip the edge of the counter until the urge to ask him how she looked passes. And that's when he answers the phone. I know immediately it's Tallulah. I walk out to the garage to mess with my bike because I don't want to pretend anymore.

About fifteen minutes later, he walks out.

"There you are. I didn't know where you disappeared to."

"Everything good?" I ask.

The question is out, and I immediately want to take it back. Fuck. His eyes flick toward me.

"Yeah. Why?"

"No reason."

He shrugs. "She's tired. Working like crazy on the property, living in Oak Moss, and happy. That's all we care about."

Happy. "Good. I'm glad things are going well for her."

Coop leans against the workbench. "You know what's weird?"

"What?"

"She didn't ask about you."

My hand stops on the rag. "Why would she?"

"I don't know. You two lived together for months. I figured she'd at least ask what you were up to."

I fold the rag once. "Maybe she doesn't care."

"Maybe."

The word lands harder than it should. Coop pushes off the bench. "I'm starving. You want to order something?"

"Yeah."

He walks inside. I stay in the garage another minute, giving my heart rate some time to settle down.

Tallulah asked me for one thing after everything fell apart. She wanted space. So I gave it to her.

Even when Cooper is standing ten feet away with every answer I want sitting on the tip of his tongue, when one question could tell me whether she misses me, I don't ask.