10. Addie
ADDIE
“ I like your car,” Sophie said.
Addie glanced at her daughter with a smile on her face. But Sophie wasn’t looking at her. Her eyes were fixed on Giselle.
“Glad to hear it.” Giselle’s lips twitched into something that almost resembled a smile.
Sophie grinned, then turned her attention to her stuffed animal, content to play quietly and ignore the adults in the front of the car.
Addie could sense Giselle retreating into herself, shutting down as soon as the conversation had a chance to grow. It was frustrating. She wanted to know more about Giselleand break through that icy wall, but Giselle wasn’t giving her much to work with.
They drove in silence for a few minutes, the sound of the road filling the car. Addie stared out the window.
Finally, Addie turned to Giselle. “So how do you like it here?”
Giselle’s eyes stayed on the road, her grip on the wheel loosening just slightly. “The hospital or the town?”
Addie chuckled. “You pick.”
“Well, I came here to work, so I guess the town doesn’t count. The hospital is fine,” Giselle said.
Did you come here just to work? Addie thought.
She could almost swear that that wasn’t the entire truth.
Something must’ve happened. People didn’t just happen to move to Phoenix Ridge.
Often they were trying to start again, to escape something.
At least, that’s what she’d always heard her parents say.
Addie didn’t push Giselle any further, though. Instead, she let the conversation sit for a moment, waiting to see if Giselle would offer anything else .
Ten seconds, nothing. Twenty, nothing.
Addie shrugged. Perhaps conversation wasn’t her strong suit, either. Surprisingly, after a beat of silence, Giselle spoke again.
“What about you? Have you been here long?”
Addie nodded. “Born and raised. I left for a few years for med school. My moms moved out to Boston, so I lived there for a while before I came back.”
“Why? Loved the town that much?”
“Lost one of my moms,” Addie said. “I came back here, and that was it.”
Giselle shrugged. “Now you’re stuck here.”
“Of course not,” Addie said. “I choose to stay here. It’s home.”
Addie caught Giselle wince the second she said home . Could that be it? Could her cold exterior stem from not feeling like she had a real home?
“I’m sorry about your mom,” Giselle said, her voice softer and more genuine than Addie had ever heard it.
“Thanks,” said Addie.
Giselle’s eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, where Sophie was quietly playing with her toy in the backseat. “It must be nice living here, then.”
“It is,” Addie said, hoping to keep the conversation going. “Phoenix Ridge is a nice place. Quiet for a city, but not too quiet. There’s always something to do.”
Giselle let out a small, dry laugh. “Something to do? Like watch the fire department pull out every afternoon?”
Addie blinked, surprised by the humor in Giselle’s voice. She hadn’t expected it, but the sound of it made her smile. “It’s a big deal around here, didn’t you know?”
Giselle glanced at her, a ghost of a smile tugging at her lips again. “Remind me tokeep that in mind, right at the top of the list of information I’ll never use.”
Addie laughed softly, appreciating the moment of levity. Giselle’s dry sense of humor caught her off guard, and Addie wanted more of it. She wanted to see more of this side of Giselle, the side that wasn’t all walls and distance.
They drove in silence for a while longer.
It was clear that Giselle wasn’t one to share personal details easily, but even the small glimpses Addie got were enough to intrigue her.
But she couldn’t push too hard. Giselle wasn’t someone who opened up easily, and Addie didn’t want to scare her away. She had to let things happen naturallyandlet the conversation grow in its own time.
“Do you miss it?” Addie asked after a while.
Giselle looked at her again. “Miss what?”
“Wherever you were before. The other places you’ve worked.”
Giselle was quiet for a moment, her eyes focused on the road. “Not really.”
“Why not?”
“Too many people, too much noise,” Giselle said. “I was in Boston before this, too, and Phoenix Ridge is quieter. I prefer it that way.”
Addie nodded, understanding. She could imagine why Giselle might prefer the quieter atmosphere of a place like Phoenix Ridge. It matched the way she carried herself—calm, controlled, and always keeping people at a distance.
They fell into silence again, but this time, it wasn’t uncomfortable. The conversation flowed naturally, and for the first time, Addie felt like they’d connected. It was small, but it was something. And it made her even more curious about Giselle.
They were almost at the party now, and Addie could feel the anticipation building. She wasn’t sure what the night would bring, but one thing was clear—there was something between them, something that wasn’t going away anytime soon.
The drive continued, the quiet rhythm of the car calming Addie’s nerves. She tried not to think about it too much, but her mind kept wandering back to how close they were. Not just physically, but in a way that had been building slowly.
As they neared the beach house, Giselle glanced down at her phone. “The weather app says there’s a chance of rain.”
Addie smiled a little, looking out the window at the clear sky. “Phoenix Ridge is mostly dry this time of year. Storms are rare. It’s probably just a glitch. ”
“Probably,” Giselle muttered, though she kept her eyes on the road ahead.
The beach house came into view, a huge building with large glass windows facing the ocean. The sound of the waves reached them as they pulled into the driveway, the faint scent of saltwater in the air.
It was one of Addie’s favorite spots in Phoenix Ridge. The sight of the waves rolling off each other and crashing into the white sand at the shore made her instantly relax.
She turned back to the house, where she could see figures moving inside through the windows.
Josephine’s parties were always like this—casual, a mix of friends and colleagues from town. Everyone felt immediately at ease. Well, except Giselle.
Addie noticed her posture stiffen the moment they stepped out of the car. Giselle’s eyes merely scanned the scene. She said nothing.
“Addie, Giselle!” Josephine called.
Her smile was broad as she walked over to them, wrapping her arms around Addie in a quick hug.
“Glad you could make it,” Josephine said, turning to Giselle with a welcoming nod. “Both of you,and Sophie, too.”
“Hello, Dr. Mars,” Sophie said, bobbing her feet.
“Oh, Sophie! You know you can call me Josephine!” Josephine said, then looked up. “Why don’t we all get inside?”
“Sure,” Addie said.
Josephine led them toward the wooden steps of the beach house. Addie walked just behind her with Sophie’s little hand tucked in hers. She turned to Giselle, who just trudgedalong with a blank smile on her face.
“Is that Sophie Wolfe?” Ember, Josephine’s wife, called as they got up the front steps.
“Ember!” Sophie ran over and hugged her. “Happy birthday!”
“Thank you, honey.” She looked at Addie and Giselle for a bit, then back at Sophie. “Hey there, Sophie. Natalie’s been waiting for you.”
“Where is she?” Sophie asked.
“Right inside.”
Natalie popped out suddenly- her red hair just as vibrant as Ember’s. She must’ve heard Sophie’s voice already. Addie watched both girls squeal in delight as they hugged each other.
Sophie turned back to Addie. “Mom?” she asked.
“Of course, baby.” Addie smiled and nodded. “Go ahead and play. Just be careful.”
The girls barely waited for the response before darting off together, giggling as they disappeared into the house.
“Come in,” Ember said, stepping aside to let them pass.
Addie was immediately taken into the crowd inside. Nearly every face was familiar. A few hellos later, her attention shifted back to Giselle.
She stood a few feet away, immaculate in smart pants and a blue button down shirt that matched her eyes.
Clearly this was the Giselle Carlisle version of casual.
Her arms crossed loosely over her chest, her expression guarded.
Addie could tell this wasn’t her scene, and standing by herself only made her stand out more.
Josephine and Ember had already moved on to greet other guests. Addie thought about walking over to Giselle and through the distance that had settled between them since they’d arrived.
“Addie! Giselle! Good to see you two outside the hospital,” Madeline said with a grin.
A handful of their colleagues approached, a few of them with their kids in tow.
Addie glanced over at Giselle, who gave a small nod but didn’t seem eager to join the conversation. Addie, on the other hand, was quickly pulled into a discussion about work, children, and the chaos of balancing both.
She caught herself ogling, her gaze lingering on how Giselle’s shiny dark hair caught the light. Addie knew this wasn’t just attraction, though that was part of it. It was more.
The conversation around her continued, but Addie was distracted. Every time she looked up, her eyes found Giselle. And every time, there was that same pull, that same curiosity mixed with something deeper.
Eventually, Addie excused herself from the group, weaving through the crowd as she made her way toward Giselle. But just as she was about to reach her, another group of colleagues swarmed in, pulling Addie into another conversation.
She glanced over her shoulder, watching as Giselle stood by herself. Why would anyone choose to be alone?
The party buzzed around them, lively and cheerful, with kids running past and the sounds of laughter and conversation filling the air.
Giselle remained apart from it all, as if she was observing everything but not participating. It made Addie want to close that distance even more, to reach out and say something, anything, that would break through the walls Giselle had built around herself.
But before she could make her way over, Josephine came up to them again, laughing as she pulled Ember into a quick hug.
“Come on, you two! Don’t just stand there,” Josephine said, her eyes flicking between Addie and Giselle. “Grab a drink, enjoy yourselves. This is a party, not an OR.”
Addie laughed, but Giselle only nodded. Josephine gave them a playful nudge before disappearing back into the crowd with Ember by her side .
Addie watched them go, then glanced back toward Giselle, who hadn’t moved. She wanted to say something and ask if Giselle was alright, but before she could, a few kids ran past, laughing and tugging at the hems of their parents’ clothes.
Maybe she should just leave her be.
Sophie and Natalie’s laughter echoed from somewhere inside the house, their excitement filling the air. Addie smiled at the sound, but when she turned to look for Giselle again, she was gone.
Addie’s heart skipped a beat. She scanned the room quickly, her eyes darting over the guests, the children, and the clusters of people standing by the porch. But Giselle wasn’t there.
Her pulse quickened as she looked around again, finally spotting Giselle on the other side of the room, standing near the large window that faced the ocean.
She wasn’t talking to anyone, wasn’t even trying to mingle. Instead, she stood by herself, staring outside, her posture still and her expression distant.
Addie watched from across the room, the sight of Giselle alone pulling her in once again. This time, it was impossible to look away. She traced a path down Giselle’s frame. Even from this distance, she was flawless.
A burst of loud laughter from a nearby group startled her, snapping her attention back to the people in front of her.
She turned to see Josephine and Ember, their heads thrown back, eyes shining as they shared some joke with their friends.
It was the kind of laughter that filled the whole room, the kind that made everyone want to join in.
Everyone except Giselle Carlisle.
Addie sighed, watching Sophie and Natalie emerge from the hallway, only to disappear into Natalie’s room seconds later. Seeing how carefree they were made her smile. She loved these moments.
She didn’t think she’d ever heard Giselle laugh. Not really. A dry chuckle, maybe, but never anything close to what was happening on the other side of the room.
But maybe one day, she would. The thought made her smile.