Chapter 10
LOCKE
I’m on her heels in seconds. This girl thinks she can keep me guessing, but she couldn’t be more predictable. I’m looking forward to fully unravelling her, piece by piece.
During our walk back to her condo, Arden sends a text to Lexi, letting her know everything’s fine, then goes quiet.
The silence between us is heavy. I notice the pause in her step, the subtle shift in her shoulders.
She’s holding something back; I can feel it.
That gnawing sense of unease creeps into my chest and won’t let go.
Next thing I know, she’s ushering me through the door to her loft and gesturing toward the couch. The cushions sink under me, soft and overstuffed, smothered in mismatched blankets and pillows. It’s not at all what I expected.
The condo itself is modest, with polished concrete floors and gleaming stone countertops that are functional without being too sterile. It’s not cluttered, but it hums with life.
Houseplants spill green across ledges below large windows, and the walls are peppered with crayon drawings and finger-painted flowers hung with strips of clear tape.
The industrial touch of exposed pipes and air ducts somehow makes it feel even cozier.
Every corner of this home speaks of routine, comfort, and a family trying to carve out something brighter.
A reality show plays on the TV. Teen mothers sobbing into the camera while their boyfriends prove they’re allergic to responsibility. It feels absurdly on-brand for this place. Arden and Lexi must eat it up.
Scanning the space, I realize Lexi is nowhere in sight. I figure she’s keeping her daughter away from me, and I can’t say I blame her. I wouldn’t trust me either. At least one of them has some sense.
When she finally appears, she’s glaring. Unnaturally bright orange hair that fades to blonde at the ends is wrapped in a large bun on her head.
“Locke.” I offer her a hand as I rise from the couch and head in her direction. She doesn’t take it.
“I know who you are. I’m sure you already know my name, too.” It makes sense that she and Arden are best friends; they share the same fiery spirit.
She doesn’t have time to get another word out before Arden stumbles back in with a duffel bag that looks like it might cause her to topple over at any moment.
Lexi shrieks, “Holy shit, how long will you be gone?!”
Arden forces a smile. “I don’t know exactly, maybe a month or two? But you’ll manage. You only work a couple of nights a week. You’ve got a backup for Zoe, right? That girl from the club?”
Lexi’s eyes flash. She doesn’t look happy. She looks terrified, actually, but she nods.
Arden leans in, wrapping her arms around Lexi in a tight hug. I catch her whisper, “I just need you to trust me on this one,” before letting go.
“If anything happens to her…” Lexi’s gaze slices to me, “I will cut your fucking balls off.”
“Noted,” I say smoothly, though I take a few steps back, anyway.
Seconds later, Arden is in Zoe’s room whispering her goodbyes. When she rejoins me, her eyes are glistening and her lashes are clumped just enough to give her away. For the first time, I see something unguarded there. Not defiance or sarcasm. Genuine emotion.
She makes her way toward the door, her duffel bag bumping against her leg with every step. I reach for it without thinking. “I’ll take that.”
She shoots me a look and rolls her eyes, but in a few seconds she’s shrugging the strap off and handing it over anyway.
The bag is heavier than it looks.
We’re out the door moments later, the night air thick and quiet around us. By the time we merge onto the freeway heading south, she’s gone silent, staring out the window like she’s already bracing herself.
For the first time since this started, there’s no one else between us.
No waitress. No roommate. No exits.
Just me, Arden, and the road stretching out ahead of us. Dark, empty, and impossible to turn back from.