My stomach curdles. “That’s awful. Her poor husband.”
A beat passes. “Oh, babe, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make your mind go there.”
“It’s okay.” For a town as small as Darkwater Hollow, there sure seem to be a lot of cheaters. “Did Lottie know anything about why he’s moving in here?”
“Nope. Actually, she knew surprisingly little about his personal life beyond his bed partners.”
“How is that possible? She can get a fish to talk.”
“She said he has this way of answering questions without telling you anything.”
“That’s ahandyskill.”
Del snorts. “Nice one. Look, I’m sorry, but she really had no idea when I told her he was moving in next door to you. She said he’s a gentleman. He gives her a frequent-customer discount now.”
I rub my index finger between my brows. “That’s a sure way to her heart, but I think she and I have different definitions for the word gentleman.”
“I doubt he’ll give you any trouble like the last neighbors did.”
I shake my head, skeptical. “If he does something to that house to lower my chance of getting a damn offer, I swear…”
Del blows out a breath. “Still no luck? I forgot to ask how it's going with that fancy Kansas City realtor. You met with her again last week, right?”
“Yeah, Nicole. She came by.” Her commission is higher than anyone else I’ve talked to, but at least she’s willing to work with me. The two agents from Darkwater Hollow never returned my calls. It didn’t surprise me, but it still pissed me off. “We have a viewing tomorrow morning.” The only one on the calendar so far.
Del sighs. “Good luck. You’ve got to get out of that house and that town and thatfuckingrestaurant.”
“You’re preaching to the choir.” I’d love to leave Darkwater Hollow, but to start over somewhere new, I need money. Far more money than I make working at Frostbite Tavern. I’m living paycheck to paycheck, saving a tiny bit each month after all my bills are paid.
I tuck my hair behind my ear. “You know, I did the math. If I sell the house at a decent price, I’ll make about twenty thousand after paying off my mom’s outstanding medical bills. That’ll be enough for a fresh start somewhere far from here.”
“I’m so proud of you.”
“What for?”
“Are you kidding? You’re the most selfless person I know. You spent six years taking care of your mom on your own, while he who shall not be named peaced the hell out of town without a care in the world.”
I snort. “Okay, I know you hate my brother, but comparing him to Voldemort is a bit low.”
“The fact that you’re defending him proves my point.”
“I did what I had to do.”
“Yes, and now it’s time to put yourself first. No more making sacrifices for other people. You deserve a fresh start, and most importantly, you need to leave that toxic asshole behind.”
My laugh is bitter. “Yeah. I should get an award for Darkwater Hollow’s biggest idiot.”
“Hey, don’t say that,” Del says with reproach.
“It’s true. I should have seen it coming.”
Rowan emerges out of the house sans leather jacket and with a bunch of stuff in his thick arms.
Broken stuff.
A chair, some rotten planks of wood, a plastic garbage bag…
Wait. What in the hell is he doing? I’m glued to the window. “Hold on a sec,” I mutter to Del.
