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I don’t realize I’ve sunk to my knees until I draw them up to my chest and bring my head to rest against them.
For the longest time, I stare into space, a headache pounding in the back of my skull.
When my phone rings, I’m startled out of my stupor. I realize that I’ve been sitting there for two hours. Gingerly, I push myself up to my feet and stumble toward the bedroom.
I snatch my phone off of the dresser and press it to my ear without checking the screen. Thank goodness for the signal.
Savanna’s warm and exuberant face makes me burst into a fresh wave of tears. Thank goodness for the signal.
“What the hell happened? What did he do? Do you want me to come down there and chop his balls off?”
I wipe my face. “No, I don’t think that’ll make me feel better.”
“But it’ll make me feel better,” Savannah reasons. “And then I’ll help you feel better too.”
I swallow and clutch the phone to my ear. “I think coming here was a mistake, Sav. It was meant to be a fresh start for me, but it’s just turned into a mess.”
Savannah sighs. “Babe, I am so sorry that asshole ruined the ranch for you. I still don’t think you should let him drive you away. You deserve to rest and relax. But maybe you should leave. But it’s your decision. At the end of the day, you have to choose what’s best for you.”
I perch on the edge of my bed and run my fingers through my hair. “If I come back, you’re not going to fuss over me, right?”
“I make no promises,” Savannah replies, after a brief pause. “But I’ll also binge watch trashy TV with you. And I’ll bring you all the ice cream and pizza you can eat.”
I sniff. “You’re the best, Sav. I don’t know how I’d survive any of this without you.”
“Not to toot my own horn or anything, but you wouldn’t. I take full credit for this.”
I choke back a laugh. “You should.”
“Skittles and I are here, whatever you decide to do,” Savannah adds in a softer voice. “Why don’t you sleep for an hour or two and see how you feel when you wake up?”
I nod. “Yeah, I’ll do that. Hey, Sav?”
“Hmm?”
“Thanks for being my friend,” I whisper through my tears. “I’ll fill you in when I’ve made my decision.”
Chapter Twenty-Five: Adrian
I knock and clasp my hands behind my neck.
A long moment passes. I don’t get a response.
With a frown, I press my ear to her cabin door and listen. When I don’t hear anything, I knock again, louder this time. “Danielle, it’s me. Open the door, please. I think we’ve both had some time to think about things, so let’s talk about this.”
Silence meets my statement.
My frown deepens as I reach into my pocket for the master key. After glancing around to make sure none of the other guests are watching, I swipe and push the door open.
The cabin is dark, with all of the curtains pulled shut, and a stillness in the air. On the tips of my toes, I creep over to the nearest window and fling the curtains open.
I repeat the process till bright sunlight floods the room.
Slowly, I spin around and tiptoe to the room.
The bed is made and doesn’t look like it’s been slept in. And the doors to the closet are open. Unease settles in the pit of my stomach as I cross over and peer into the closet.
My heart hammers uneasily when I get to the bathroom and see that all of Danielle’s things are gone.
