Chapter Fourteen
Cool, crisp air-conditioning greeted me when I entered Hailey’s home and took in my new surroundings.
The house looked bigger on the inside, with a wide-screen TV and sound system and pristine kitchen that looked like no one had cooked in it in years.
I bet the trash can was full of take-out containers …
unless Hailey and Luke had a chef. I wouldn’t be surprised.
Most of the homes on the Isle were laid-back, bohemian, or beach style. Hailey’s place smelled like a hotel, one of the upscale ones that piped in the expensive scents. I always felt uncomfortable in places like this, as if even the furniture wondered what I was doing here.
“Does it meet your standards?”
I shrugged. “It’s alright.” I turned around, finding Hailey right behind me and in my personal space. I didn’t like how she could creep up on me without me knowing she was coming. It was something no one had ever really been able to do.
I shook off my unease, noticing like I had the first time how pretty her eyes were. And her lips, they looked like the top of a heart, perfectly covered in red lipstick—
I shuddered. What was I doing getting distracted when I was here on a mission? I must have been tired.
She raised an eyebrow, her red lips curving in a smirk like she knew what I’d been thinking. Heat flushed my cheeks.
Her eyes narrowed like she was using her bullshit detector. “Don’t let my mom catch you saying that. The amount she dropped on this place.” Hailey sighed resignedly. “It’s repulsive.”
“And yet, here you live.” I put a hand on my hip, twisting my lips at her to let her know I was calling bullshit too.
Her eye twitched. I hit a nerve, and I had to admit it felt good to give it a little to someone after everything that had been going on.
I shook my head and mumbled that she should forget it and moved past her to the row of family pictures on the walls and the mantel of her fireplace in the living room.
Her and Luke at various stages of their lives, together and always laughing.
With their parents and looking so formal, very blond magazine-cover perfect, the four of them.
“I got tired of blond,” she said when she noticed me looking at the photo.
And then another photo with an extra guy added in. I leaned in. He looked like Hailey’s mom, with a sharp nose, thin lips, and a stare that could freeze water.
Hailey studied him too. “My uncle Simon; my mom’s younger brother. He runs the Endowment.”
“He looks intense,” I said.
Hailey’s lips pursed, her gaze growing distant. “He can be.” She came back from wherever her mind had taken her, refocusing on me. She mustered up a smile. “Make yourself at home.”
I sat down stiffly on the edge of the cream-colored settee, beating down the sudden onset of homesickness.
It came out of nowhere. But I had spent hours alone in Charleston, something I’d never done before even though the city wasn’t that far away, as wild as that sounded.
It would be too easy to say screw it and go back home where Nana would take care of everything.
Hailey sat opposite me, looking just as uncomfortable as I felt. “I guess you got the news about the search.”
The homesickness went away. I nodded.
She mimicked me, her hands sliding up and down her thighs like she was nervous. “Why are you here?”
“It was one of the places Naira visited when she was here, and I want to know what happened. And why.”
Hailey blew out a slow breath. Her eyes flickered toward the windows, like she’d done when we were outside. I turned, thinking again that something might be there, but there was nothing in the dark on the other side of the glass.
“Don’t do that to yourself,” she whispered me. “She’s gone. Luke’s … gone. They called the search off.”
“Don’t you want to know what happened?”
“Their boat crashed and sank. It’s been three weeks, Addae.” I hated how she looked at me, like she felt sorry for me.
“Because life must go on, right?” I snapped. She was just another person who wanted to move on like nothing happened, like they didn’t even exist.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Don’t you want to know what happened to your brother? Don’t you want to at least try?”
She ran her hands over her legs as she shifted, looking out the window again. Maybe that’s what she did when she needed to think.
“Of course I want to know, but is it worth it at this point? My parents went back to Boston because my mom couldn’t handle being down here with all the reminders of Luke. It’s been hell.”
Story of my life. If Hailey had given up, fine. But I needed her to tell me everything she knew about that last day, and then I could go and investigate by myself.
Hailey’s phone went off, the music like doom and gloom was calling. Duh, duh, duh, duhhhhhh. Judging by Hailey’s expression, she knew exactly who was calling.
Hailey pulled out her phone. A display of emotions crossed her face like she was going through stages of grief. I wondered who in her world had the power cause that kind of reaction.
“Give me a sec,” she said, jumping up and accepting the call.
Hailey’s voice lowered to a murmur as she walked toward the kitchen, while I went the opposite way to the closed French doors that apparently led to a gated backyard patio.
I walked to the doors, peering through one of the small square panels.
I got up close, nose nearly touching the cool glass.
Behind me, I heard snatches of Hailey’s conversation.
From the sound of it, it wasn’t going well.
I traced my finger over the smooth surface, wondering how much I could trust Hailey.
I was in her house, pretty much at her mercy if she got the drop on me.
But I was hoping there were holes she’d be able to fill.
Maybe if this was really all some intricate plan to run away devised by Naira and Luke, Hailey would clue me in since I was obviously the last to know.
I’d come here ready to figure things out.
But I hadn’t thought about how alone I’d feel, how othered I’d be in this city where no one was like me.
I pulled back from the surface. There was something on the other side of the door. Something out there in the dark, hiding in the shadows, watching me. The light behind me made it hard to make out anything concrete. My hand hovered over the door handle.
From the other room, Hailey said: “Yeah, it was a surprise to me too.” A long pause followed. “No. Give me a little time. Let me do it my way.” Another pause. “It’s not like that.” Hailey’s voice was strained.
Pitch-black was on the other side of those doors, darker than it should be in a neighborhood with plenty of lights. Not even one firefly pierced the dark. If someone was trying to scare me—
She is gathering.
—I wouldn’t make things so easy for them.
I moved away from the doors, from my thoughts, distracting myself with the conversation Hailey was having in the other room.
Whoever was on the other line made Hailey shrink into herself until she was a ball.
Tiny sounds came from her and I realized she was crying.
Seeing her like this made my wall against her crack a little, letting compassion seep through.
When Hailey and I first met at my graduation, when I touched her ice-cold hand and sensed nothing from her, it threw me off. Made me think she was some weird entity. But now whatever barriers she had up were gone, making way for her sudden surge of emotions.
No matter how much contempt I had for her being a mainlander, being unreadable, or for her brother getting my friend in this horrible mess, I realized that in this regard, Hailey was no different from me.
Her loss was like mine. She let me in her house when she didn’t have to, and despite my conclusions about her brother and if he had something to do with all of this mess, Hailey was the best shot I had.
Now if only I could convince her that I was hers too.
“Sounded like a bad call in there,” I said when she reentered the room and sat back down.
She sniffed, looking like a strong gust of wind would blow her over. “My family has strong opinions on how I should be dealing with Luke and all this.” She searched for the words. “And I, um, was trying to explain how I needed to go through my own … process.”
Nodding, I said, “I know the feeling. To really believe the truth is out there.”
Hailey’s head tilted. “Which of us is Mulder and which is Scully?”
Silence.
“X-Files? You’ve never seen it?”
I shook my head.
She tutted. “Poor, depraved soul.”
I prepared myself for my pitch, hoping this time around I’d get her approval.
She had every reason to say no. The recent call was clear evidence.
“Look, Hailey, I don’t know your situation, but I would do anything to figure out what happened to Naira, and I think you’d do the same for your brother. Do you really believe Luke is dead?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” she cut in sharply. “Believe he’s dead?”
I was shocked. “That easily? You don’t hold out any hope that maybe they could have made it?”
She snorted, whispering, “Hope.” She shook her head at me.
Again, she looked out of her French doors. I followed her gaze. Again, I saw nothing. “I think if we trace some of their steps, go where they went and ask around, something might come up.” I shrugged. “And even if nothing shakes out, we can move on knowing we tried the best we could, you know?”
Hailey studied me for a moment, lost in her thoughts. “You really think this is all worth it?”
If it meant getting to the places where Naira had last been, hell yeah it was worth it, even if I still wasn’t sure about Hailey’s angle in this.
I nodded.
She seemed to debate something to herself before finally saying, “It’s late, and if you want, there’s a guest room that you can stay in while you’re here. Save some money.”
“I have money,” I said quickly, embarrassment and anger sweeping through me. “I don’t need handouts.”
“I know,” she said just as quickly, as if she’d realized her mistake.
She held up her hands to appease me. “I’m sorry, I just meant if you stayed, it would be easier for us to talk if you’re only right down the hall instead of across town.
Plus, I wouldn’t mind the company. Since Luke’s been gone…
” She stopped herself, swallowing hard and sending any remnants of my anger down the drain.