5. Chapter 5
Lorenz
D o the right thing.
For once in your life, do the right thing.
Lorenz told himself that all the way down the valley road. Repeated it as he parked. As he shut off the engine. As he sat there with his hands still on the wheel, watching the school gates.
It had taken less than a minute to find the address of the international school she worked at. Less than an hour after his shift ended, to drive here. The hard part hadn’t been the logistics.
It was knowing he shouldn’t be here.
She’d asked him to leave her alone.
He owed her that much.
But he also needed to explain. And now that he’d seen her in person, he couldn’t get the thought out of his mind. He had to apologize to her.
The children left first. Then teachers started leaving. Charlie came out with a statuesque, dark-haired woman. They split up at the corner, each walking away in a different direction.
Lorenz got out of his car and followed Charlie. When he was close, he called out her name. He didn’t want to startle her.
She turned around to look at him. She didn’t look surprised to see him. She did, however, look exhausted.
Her eyes were rimmed red, her skin pale, as though rest had eluded her. Her curls were pulled back, less wild than they had been the last time he’d seen her.
“How’s the boy?” he asked. “Is the father giving you trouble? If so, I can help.”
She exhaled long and slow.
“Is that why you’re here? I don’t need your help, Lorenz.
I’m not your problem anymore, remember?” The words landed, but then her face softened.
She’d never been one to enjoy hurting someone.
Even when they deserved it. “He’s clearly an unhappy man, and I’m worried for Théo.
I have a meeting with Théo’s mom—his wife—tomorrow.
I want to make sure things are okay at home. ”
Of course she’d take that on, too.
“As long as he isn’t giving you any trouble,” Lorenz said.
He wanted to say a lot more. It went against every instinct he had to stop himself, but he could feel the line under his feet. One more step and he’d cross it.
And lose her for good.
“I’ll let you go,” he said, running a hand through his dark, spiky hair. “You probably have a lot to do.”
“Listen,” she said then. “I wasn’t honest with you the other day.”
He stilled.
“I didn’t come back,” she said. “I never left.”
The words knocked the breath out of his lungs.
“All this time?”
She nodded once.
Six years.
Six years of parallel lives in the same valley. Of streets they might have shared.
“Charlie,” he said then, before he could stop himself. “I need to tell you something.”
She waited, her gray eyes wide.
“Please,” he added, the word stripped of any pride. “Have dinner with me. Let’s talk.”
Before she could say no, his phone rang.
The sharp, familiar tone cut straight through. Beau. He couldn’t not take the call.
“Take it,” she said. “It’s okay.”
He hesitated, just long enough to hate himself for it. Here, too, he was going to fail now?
The call took less than ten seconds, but by the time he hung up, Charlie had stepped away.
“Can we talk later?” He couldn’t pretend it was a casual request. Even though he didn’t deserve it, he needed that promise more than he’d ever needed anything before. He was ready to go on his knees, if he thought it’d make a difference.
“Tomorrow,” she said at least. “Coffee after school. Not dinner.”
Coffee. A compromise, neutral ground. He’d take it.
He nodded. “Tomorrow. I’ll meet you here.”
Lorenz turned toward his car before he could change his mind. As he drove back to Chamonix, lights flashing ahead of him, the words came back to him—clearer than ever.
Do the right thing .
If only he could be sure what that was.