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From now on, I don’t need my cell phone.
I just need theAurora Inn.
The gates open for me automatically and I follow the woodParkingsign that leads me to the side of the mansion, giving me a lovely view of the woods.
The gardens are around here, too. They’re a popular tourist attraction, and the photos on the website were breathtaking.
I can’t wait to see it in the daytime.
I packed my suitcase in minutes, desperately throwing what I could into it. If there’s anything I’m missing, I can always wander through town, which is only minutes away.
Every step I take towards the white French double doors is a step towards freedom.
A new chapter.
A reprieve from the hell that has been the last two years of my life.
And as I swing the front door open, taking in the view of the furnished front room, it feels like I’m finally coming home.
1
HARPER
It’slike I’ve stepped back in time.
There’s a reception desk in front of me made of dark mahogany wood with a vintage multi-colored glass lamp sitting on the surface. Behind the desk against the wall is a grandfather clock, the pendulum swinging back and forth in a steady rhythm. The walls are cream, matching the outside of the house, and dark red curtains surround the arched windows. In the opposite corner is a lit fireplace, the warmth filling the area. Loveseats with cream upholstery and dark wooden trim surround the fire.
It's paradise.
Except for the middle-aged Beta woman that’s staring up at me from the desk, her mouth open in shock.
Just like that, my insecurities bubble to the surface.
She’s looking at the scar.
She’s looking at my scar, the mottled pink line that starts at my eyebrow and drags down my cheek. No one has ever openly gaped at me like this before, but I didn’t have time to put on concealer and —
“Hello?” she breathes, her voice more a question than a greeting.
But I won’t let this strange woman make my night any worse.
No, I’m here to take care ofmyself.
“Hi,” I greet her, placing a grin on my face, hiding the despair that threatens to rise to the surface.Stare at me all you want; you won’t ruin this for me.“I have a reservation under Harper Chapman.”
The room I booked, despite it being the cheapest, still cost a fortune.
I can’t wait to see it, though. I’m looking forward to the canopy king bed and reading nook that overlooks the property. I just need to spend the next week in solitude, relaxing in luxury.
“Harper?” the Beta woman repeats, her grey eyebrows scrunched. “Chapman?”
I stare at her for a moment in silence, the only sound the faint swaying of the clock’s pendulum.
Either this woman has the worst social skills in the world, or I’m losing my mind.
“Yes,” I say slowly, opening my purse to take out my wallet. I hand her my identification card and credit card. “Here.”
She takes both and studies them, turning them over incredulously.
