PRESENT
Iexpected dinner to be awkward, but somewhere between parking and walking to the door, I convinced myself it wouldn’t be as bad as I feared. I was wrong. It’s worse.
I’m sitting at the Ledger family table, surrounded by a chorus of voices speaking over each other and the loud clink of plates, struggling not to choke on the tension swirling from Ellie across the table.
She hasn’t looked at me once since we left the porch. Not really. A quick glance—more out of necessity than acknowledgment. Now, she’s doing an admirable job of pretending I don’t exist, laughing a little too brightly at whatever Lily, her niece, is chattering on about.
“How are you liking working for the sheriff’s office?” Leanne’s question jolts me out of my thoughts.
I clear my throat. “I love it, actually. It’s a nice change of pace from LA, that’s for sure.”
Ellie’s eyes rove over to mine for a split-second. Since wedidn’t keep in touch, she likely didn’t know I’d been living in California up until recently.
“That’s wonderful. They really needed some fresh blood.” Leanne looks over to Ellie, who’s scowling, and her smile slightly falls before she puts it back in place. “I had a nice chat with your mom after running into you, and she filled me in on you and Adrian. It was so great catching up.” She breathes a soft laugh my way. “She’s very proud of you.”
My face flushes hot. I look down at my food and when I look back up, my eyes can’t help but find Ellie’s.I’ve always been drawn to her—searching for her in crowded rooms, even ones I know she couldn’t possibly be in.Now she’s right in front of me, and all I want to do is stare.Is it the same for her? Has she been looking for me the way I’ve always looked for her?
She’s not regarding me with hurt or sadness or anger. More like curiosity, like she can’t quite figure me out.
I stare back, because I think if I looked away, so would she.
Neither one of us blinks.
Or moves.
“I’m glad you could join us tonight.” Leanne continues, breaking the spell.
Ellie snaps her neck down, suddenly fascinated by her plate. A beat later, I turn my focus back to Leanne.
“It’s been too long since we’ve had you over.”
“Yeah,” I say, too bright to sound genuine. “Thanks for inviting me.”
Ethan, seated next to me, nudges my shoulder. “About time. I’ve hardly seen you since you moved back.”
“Been busy with the house.”
I was hoping my vague answer would suffice, but based on Ethan’s expression it had the opposite effect.
Ethan’s head cocks. “Youbought a house?”
I should’ve rehearsed this, come up with a story. But I didn’t.
“Yeah.”
He waits for me to elaborate and the rest of the table follows suit. When I don’t speak, Ethan pushes on. “What house? One of the new developments?”
Well, fuck. I guess the truth was going to come out eventually.
My throat clears before speaking, buying myself time. “Sullivan Ridge House.”
Like a record scratch cutting through the noise, all eye snap to me.
I never really got the saying you could hear a pin drop—until now.
The silence stretches, heavy and suffocating, until Ethan cuts through it like a dull knife. “That’s great.” His smile is tight, his eyes darting to Ellie, checking for fallout.
My stomach twists. I should’ve kept my mouth shut.
