Page 16 of Wicked Games

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

Violet knows me too well.

I sigh. “I don’t know.”

“You sound miserable, and on top of everything else, that’s saying something. Things happen for a reason. If you apologize and she tells you to fuck off, then you have your answer. You’re hurting, and she knows that. She might give you a second chance, if you want one.”

“I’ll have to decide if I do. This wasn’t what I had planned when I decided to spend the summer out here.”

“Sometimes it’s just that quick.”

“I didn’t want it to be.”

“Does she feel the same?”

“It might not matter.”

“Does she feel the same?” she repeats.

“I think so. Or she might have. I might have squashed whatever she was feeling for me.”

“If it’s real, you didn’t. Why is she in Lakehaven Falls anyway?”

“The same reasons as me. She just went through a divorce and her sister passed away. She said she needed time to regroup.”

“Her sister isn’t the only one in her life to have passed away. She wrote the last entry on Hattie Maitland’s blog. They must have been really good friends.”

“Why do I know that name?” I frown.

“She wrote The Luxe Report. You know. All the gossip in Ashfield. But she kept it classy. Except for when it wasn’t. She was murdered a week after Theo, but the police aren’t looking into it. People are saying she got what she deserved.”

“Do you know if Hattie and Avery were sisters?”

She hums, thinking. “There’s nothing that ever said they were, and I’ve read Avery’s work for years, so I’d probably say no. I’d have to double check Hattie’s obit, but I don’t remember it saying anything.”

“Great. That makes things even worse. She lost her sister, a friend, and her husband, and I had to tell her how worthless she was.”

“You were only saying the opposite of what you’re feeling. She already means a lot to you.”

“Something like that.”

“If you ever doubted it, I’m happy for you. And I was when you met Brooke,” she says softly.

“I know, Vi. And you and Walker are perfect for each other. Maybe I don’t tell you enough that I’m happy for you too.”

“Thanks. He’s a good guy.” She pauses. “Give her a couple days then go talk to her. Tell her how you feel, even if you’re not ready to say it. If you were that nasty, she deserves an explanation.”

“Yeah. I gotta go. Detective LaSalle left me a message. Maybe he has some news.”

“I hope so. Keep me in the loop, okay?”

“I will.”

“Thanks. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Our conversation doesn’t help me feel better. Maybe Avery was right and Brooke was jealous, but she never told me she was and what would I have done? I wouldn’t have done anything except tell her there was nothing to worry about, and that’s why she didn’t tell me. Christ.