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“I still can’t believe you’re here,” I mutter as we ride the elevator up to the twelfth floor. I should be grateful we’re nowhere near the room I shared last night, but knowing Rhett is somewhere in this hotel makes me want to take him up on his offer to stay another night.
“Accident or not, I finally got the name of the town you were in. Of course I’d take the first flight across the ocean to check on you. Caiti stayed up all night searching every social media platform for Arrow Creek community groups. She finally stumbled on a post you made for your
business and found the correct state. She could probably work for the FBI with her sleuthing skills.”
“You could have just taken my word for it.” The elevator dings. I step off but wait for Eric to lead the way.
He bumps my shoulder as he passes. “It’s been months. First knowing you were still living with Tate but separated, and then you went on the run.”
“I wasn’t on the run,” I fire back. “Can’t a girl have some privacy after a major breakup?”
“Not when I’m the only family you have. Buy a new car. Drastically change your hair. Do anything except hide from me. Not cool, Evie.”
The key card opens the door, and he steps back for me to enter. The squeals that reach my ears nearly knock me back into the hall.
“You already found her! I thought we were going to be searching for hours!” Caiti launches herself into my arms. I’m assaulted by shiny black hair and the smell of cherry blossoms. I squeeze her back.
Eric shoves the door with more force than necessary. “You won’t believe this shit, Cait.”
“Eric,” I hiss. Here we go again. “Let it go.”
“What shit?” Caiti pushes me back at arm’s length and scans me head to toe. “What’s going on?”
“Do you have anything to drink? Also, I’m ordering room service on your tab since Eric won’t let me leave to get food,” I mutter
“What the hell, Eric?” Caiti immediately jumps to my defense.
“Aren’t you curious why I found her loitering in a hotel parking lot?” His car keys clank on the counter where he tosses them.
Caiti pins me with a quizzical stare.
“Oh, come on. I wasn’t loitering.” I throw my hands up in the air.
Eric pops the top on a beer from his mini-fridge. They sure came prepared. I hold out my hand when Caiti passes one over, ignoring the fact it’s only noon on a Saturday.
“Will someone tell me what the heck is going on?” Caiti twists her own top off but holds her drink as if knowing she’ll need the full amount once she gets her answer.
“She’s living in her fucking car!” Eric’s tight control on his emotions, with all the gentle ribbing, is unleashed in the presence of his sister and his wife. The hurt in his tone bears down on us like a raging flood.
“What?” Caiti asks again and turns to me, beer forgotten.
“Eric, it isn’t like that.” A mark scores across my heart at the pain I’ve caused.
He takes another swig. “Oh, yeah? Tell me what it’s like then. No wonder you didn’t want us to come out sooner. We’d have discovered your little secret when you didn’t have a place for us to stay.”
“What?” Caiti’s question is waterlogged. I snap my gaze from my brother to her face. The shame smacks instantaneous at the tears tracking down her cheeks. Her head cocks to the side, and she wipes a wet cheek on her shoulder. “You’ve been living in your car? All this time?”
Guilt steals the volume to my voice. “It’s only been a few weeks. I didn’t want you to worry.”
A hysterical bubble of laughter breaks free from Caiti and tears my heart in two. “Are you kidding? We’ve worried this entire time. Why else do you think we hopped on the first flight as soon as we knew where you were staying?”
“I didn’t know what else to do.” I cross the room and sit on the bed, noting the similarities to the room I left not that long ago and wishing I could go back.
“You could have told us! We’re your family!” Caiti cries
Eric pulls his wife close to his side in an attempt to comfort her. It stings a little, desperately needing a hug of my own, but all I seem to do is push people away.
“I didn’t want to make Eric pick sides. There are things I’m not ready to share, and after everyone else chose Tate, I couldn’t take the chance that you’d choose him too.”
