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Zoe snorted. "Yeah, right. No chance of that. I half expected to find her here."
"After our fight?" Ian shook his head. "No, I don't think she's looking to talk to me, either."
"Which leaves…"
She knew of only one place where her sister could stay for free. But Quinn would never go there. She felt exactly the same way Zoe did—that the place was cursed, riddled with bad luck and even worse memories, even though it was the only thing their father had had to offer them when he passed.
"You're thinking of somewhere," Ian said.
"I'm not."
"You are. You lo
ok the same way Quinn does when she has an idea, except, you know, snootier." He shot her a half smile.
Zoe narrowed her eyes. "Fine. Yes, I thought of somewhere, but there's no chance she's there, and it's pretty far from Connecticut."
"The farther, the better when you're trying to run away. What have you got?"
She hesitated. What were the odds Quinn would choose that ramshackle apartment? Or… was she just avoiding it because she didn't want to revisit the place?
She swallowed. "My father left us an apartment in Atlantic City. I was thinking the place is free and she has a key, but I seriously doubt she would have gone there."
"Well, why not?" Ian asked. "It sounds like the perfect solution."
"You know about my father." Zoe glanced away. "That's hardly the place she'd go if she wanted to relax and get away from it all."
"Well, do you have six hours to check it out? It’s three hours there. If she isn't anywhere to be found, we get back in the car and zip home. No harm, no foul." He shrugged.
"Except it'd be six hours Quinn could be getting farther away."
"So what better ideas do you have?" he challenged.
She raised her eyebrows, ready to fight back, then slouched back on the cushions behind her. "Yeah, okay, you're probably right. But let's check a few places in town first. We could split up to cover more ground and—"
"No." He practically spluttered as he spoke, and she furrowed her brow.
"What do you mean, no?"
"Her friends are here. You can send them places to check for her. You and I need to get on the road because if she is going to Atlantic City, she's already got a pretty good head start on us."
She considered this, and as she pictured the glimmering casinos and rolling shore of the city, her stomach twisted. Why the hell hadn't she sold that damn place the second she'd inherited it?
Because she didn't want to. She didn't want to let go of him, in spite of everything.
"Okay, you're probably right. Let's hit the road." She shoved her notepad back in her purse then held her hand out to Ian. He glanced at it, a mocking smile on his face, and she snatched it away.
"You know what? Once we're done with this, I'm never asking for your help again."
"Oh no," he said in mock disappointment. "Color me devastated. I have to ask, though, before we get on the road, don't you want to change out of your bridesmaid's dress?"
Zoe looked down and was momentarily surprised to find that she was still wearing the flowing gown, though it was now soiled around the hem with construction dirt.
She cleared her throat. "Probably a good idea. Do you have any sweatpants or…?"
"There are some girl's clothes in the box in the bathroom. They were an ex's, and she left them here. They'll probably fit you."
"Right." Her stomach flipped at that. "I didn't know you'd seen anyone long enough to call them an ex."
