Page 23 of Forever my Love

He had an old sofa, a coffee table, and a ping-pong table set up in the space.

After he flipped on the outside lights, she could see that there was a wall of glass that led out to a massive patio area complete with a firepit, grill, patio furniture, and the hot tub.

“I can show you around outside tomorrow in the daylight.” He flipped off the lights and turned to head down two more stairs. “This is my favorite room.” He smiled and opened the door.

She stepped into a massive home gym. There were several boxing bags, including two weighted ones that hung from the ceiling.

Several rows of weights sat in front of an entire wall of mirrors. He also had an exercise bike and a treadmill.

The floor was covered with black and red cushions that fit the space perfectly.

“Why do you use the Boys and Girls Club if you have your own gym?” she asked.

“I supposed I’m accustomed to going there. I grew up not having a private gym. Plus, I like to get out of the house once and a while.” He smiled and shrugged. “There’s a bathroom attached to the gym there.” He pointed. “The other guest room and attached bathroom are down the hallway.”

She followed him into an empty bedroom with dark walls and a bathroom that hadn’t been remodeled. “That’s pretty much it.”

She wanted to remind him that her entire cabin could fit on one floor of his place, but she bit her bottom lip instead.

“How about we head back upstairs? I’d like a cup of coffee.”

She nodded and followed him back upstairs. She noticed that he flipped off all the lights as they went.

Ali followed them and when they stepped into the kitchen, the dog plopped down on his dog bed by the sliding door that led out to the deck area.

“Isn’t he lonely?” she asked, sitting at the bar area while he moved into the pantry to make them each a cup of coffee.

“Who? Ali?” He chuckled. “No. My parents’ dogs come over a lot. Plus, I’m pretty sure he and Blue and Lucy will be seeing plenty of each other. Plus, my sister and Wyatt have taken one of the puppies from that litter too. A girl named Luna.” He smiled as he set a mug in front of her. “Cream? Sugar?”

“Black.”

He shook his head as he walked over to the fridge and poured some cream into his coffee. “Never understood anyone who drank it black.”

“Thank you.” She looked down into the dark mug.

How many nights had she gone to sleep afraid? Not just for herself but for Harper.

Those first few years on their own, Harper had worked nights, leaving Hailey alone every night. When she was a teenager, she’d fall asleep with the television on to cartoons, something she’d never had as a kid. It helped to ease her mind some, but the nightmares always came. And since Harper was never there, she’d had no one to comfort her.

Her mother certainly had never been there for either of them.

As the years went by, she’d learned to cope in other ways. Learning had always helped her. Learning, reading, and dreaming.

She read anything that she could get her hands on at first. She had never really gone to the library when she’d been a kid. She and Harper hadn’t spent any more time at school than was necessary to keep child protective services off their backs.

Then one day while Harper was at work, she’d taken a walk and ended up finding a small library just down the street from the one-bedroom motel where they were staying.

The librarian was nice to her and explained how to check out books. Hailey had gotten a card and checked out a single book that first week and read it three times.

It was a book about books. She couldn’t remember what she’d learned from it, but she had devoured it from cover to cover. The next time she’d gone to the library, she’d checked out half a dozen books instead.

She’d decided to take the GED when the librarian asked her why she wasn’t in school and suggested it.

She’d passed her GED with flying colors, only missing two questions.

The librarian had suggested she sign up for college classes, but then Harper had gotten spooked and they’d moved.

There hadn’t been a library within miles of the next place they’d stayed.

She still thought about college classes but knew that her work schedule and the amount of money they were putting into the cabin wouldn’t allow for it. What she really wanted was to run her own business. She dreamed of someday opening her very own hair salon.

“You don’t have to thank me,” Reece said, breaking into her thoughts. He had moved to stand across the countertop from her. His eyes moved slowly over her face. “You’re spooked.”

She nodded and took a deep breath. “More for Harper than myself.”

Reece’s eyes narrowed. She could tell he wanted to ask her about Fred. About what she’d admitted earlier.

Could she trust him with the fact that her sister had murdered their mother?