26. Taylor
Taylor
Tearing my gaze away from the sunken pit, I reach for the ringing phone. A second later, Mom’s face appears on the screen. I lean against the chair, pulling the blanket tighter around me. “Hey, Mom.”
“There’s my favorite son,” she greets me.
“I’m your only son.”
“Which makes my statement factually correct.”
I chuckle. She doesn’t laugh back. Peering closer, I see tension in her eyes. “Is everything okay?” I ask.
“Yes and no.” She makes a slight grimace. “I have good and terrible news.”
“Okay…” I swallow, contemplating. “Give me the good news first." At least then I’ll have something to cushion the terrible part.
“The autopsy results came back for Noel,” she says. “He died of a heart attack.”
“Oh, my God.” I cover my mouth. My eyes are like mini saucers on the phone screen.”
“Thankfully, no one suspects foul play, so there won’t be an investigation. You have nothing more to worry about, honey.”
I relax against the seat. Relief forms a balloon in my chest. “Does this mean I can come home?”
Silence. Mom clears her throat. “Um... I think you should stay a while longer.”
“Why?”
Another round of silence. A pitiful look appears on her face. It reminds me of when our bulldog, Argus, got run over by a car when I was ten years old, and I came home to find Mom waiting on the front steps. “Mom.”
“Have you spoken to Celeste?” she asks.
“No. Why?”
“But you gave her the code to your apartment.”
It wasn’t a question. My eyebrows furrow. Unease flickers inside me. “Yes… are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
Mom sighs. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, honey, but uh...” She closes her eyes, grimacing.
And now I realize what she’s going to say.
“Celeste is cheating on you. She brought another man to your apartment.”
Holy fricking shit.
“I’m so sorry.”
“I don’t understand… how do you know that?”
She lets out a heavy sigh. “I suspect my opponent sent his people to lurk around your apartment building. It seems they’ve finally realized you’re not around.
From what I saw online, someone noticed Celeste leaving with another man and went digging for information.
The story went viral yesterday. I’m surprised you haven’t heard about it. ”
I haven’t been online in days, and Celeste wouldn’t call because she knew I’d be upset. I told her to be careful. Now her secret has become a scandal.
Which leaves my secret hanging by a thread.
“Apparently, he’s a tattoo artist.” Her nose crinkles with disdain. “Her parents are livid—oh, sweetheart, don’t let this devastate you.” She leans in, staring with concern. “Wipe that look off your face. This isn’t the end of the world.”
Now would be the right time to tell her that I’m not devastated because of Celeste, and that we were never a couple, but I remember the tears in her eyes when that blogger showed her photos of Noel and me. The truth would be painful. I can’t do that to her.
“Someday, you’re going to find a wonderful woman who will love you unconditionally,” she goes on. “Celeste will be a distant memory.”
Oof. I stare into the fire. I don’t want to think about the future. “How is the campaign going?” I ask.
If she suspects my attempt to change the subject, it doesn’t show. Her expression brightens with a soft smile. “It’s been going well,” she replies. “Especially in the polls.”
“How well?”
“We have a decent lead for the first time. If things continue this way, we might pull it off.”
“I’m happy for you, Mom.”
She’s practically beaming now. “Oh, sweetheart, thank you. And I appreciate that you’ve agreed to stay in Hallow Creek.”
“I didn’t exactly promise I’d stay, Mom,” I point out. Not that I’m even slightly ready to leave.
“Fine. You didn’t, but I think that would be best,” she replies. “Take the time to heal. You can come home after the election.”
I lean back in the seat, staring at the stars.
“Honey, I know the entire thing hasn't been easy. Being away from your friends, your life...”
Friends. Besides Celeste, I spent years surrounded by people who liked my family’s money, our connections, or what my last name could do for them. Those weren’t friends. Opportunists were more like it. “I’ve survived.”
“You’ve done more than survive, honey. You look...” Her eyes take on a different shine as she searches for the right word. “...stronger.”
A snort escapes.
“No, seriously. Living with Roman is probably the best thing that could ever happen to you. Staying a little longer won’t hurt.”
Her words trigger a warm sensation in my chest. She might be right. A few weeks ago, I counted the days until I could leave this place. Now, I’m glad she’d convinced me to come here. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have met the two men who brought my walls down.
Even if it’s for a short time.
Roman, who has a kind heart under his tough, gruff exterior. Jude, who somehow makes every room feel lighter the second he walks into it. Unlike my so-called friends, neither of them wanted anything to do with my last name. They only ever saw me.
But Mom was wrong about one thing. The longer I stay, the more I’m dreading leaving this place. I’m not ready for things to end.
“So?” she prompts.
“Fine. I’ll hang around a while longer,” I reply. “See you after the election, Mom.”
She smiles, relieved. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
Behind her, a light round of knocks comes on the door. She glances over her shoulder, an urgent look appearing on her face. “Sweetheart, I have a podcast interview in the morning. I need to prepare.”
“Of course.” This is how our conversations usually end, anyway.
“Get some rest,” she says. “Try not to think about Celeste. There will be plenty of women when you get back.”
I groan inwardly.
“In fact, a lovely redhead joined the campaign last week. Her name is Alyssa. I’d love for you to meet her.”
A hollow feeling settles in my gut. I want to please my mother, but the weight of this secret is becoming unbearable. I’m not sure how much more I can endure.
“Maybe,” I mutter.
My response seems to satisfy her. I tell her I love her.
She tells me the same. I end the call, staring at the screen for a moment, a part of me tempted to redial and do the right thing.
Instead, I dial Celeste’s number. After three unsuccessful tries, I give up.
I’m concerned about her. It’s going to be difficult choosing between the man she loves and her parents.
But I’m afraid for myself, too. Her secret is now in the open, and there’s no reason for her to keep mine anymore.
At the sudden thumping of boots, I glance over my shoulder and I see Jude coming up the steps.
We haven’t spoken since his weird reaction in the lobby earlier, and I’ve been wondering if, like Roman, he’s avoiding me.
It doesn’t matter now, though. He’s here.
I’ve finally gotten closure with Noel, and for the first time, I want to tell someone what happened.
An opening remark dies in my throat when he steps onto the deck. Something about his expression immediately puts me on edge. There are no sparkles in his eyes, no teasing smirk on his lips. He’s anxious. An alarm goes off in my head.
“Is everything okay?”
He walks down to the pit and sits beside me. For several seconds, he silently stares at the fire, then exhales deeply. “No.”
The silence stretches out so long that I’m tempted to break it. Something tells me not to rush him. Finally, he glances up at me, pain radiating in his gaze. “There’s something I need to tell you.”